AMBALA: Light rain and cold weather has come as a relief for farmers, who have been spared the work of irrigating their fields amid the ongoing agitation.
It has been raining lightly in the region for the past two days, resulting in natural irrigation of wheat, mustard and vegetable fields.
Over the last two days, Ambala has recorded maximum temperature of 16 degrees Celsius and minimum of 13 degrees Celsius. Scattered thunderstorm and rain has been predicted for the next two days, agriculture department officials said.
Most of the farmers protesting at the Delhi borders have been attending the agitation and coming home from time to time to look after their crops in northern Haryana.
Farmer Rajeev Sharma from Hasanpur village in Naraingarh area of Ambala district said, “The recent rain and cold weather has come as a boost for the wheat crop, which is growing well. I come home from the protest in Delhi after about 10 days to harvest potatoes. I have also grown wheat.” Another farmer, Sukhminder from Sapehra village of Ambala said, “The rain has saved our hard work of irrigating fields amid the ongoing protest. The weather is pleasant for wheat and mustard and we are happy that god has irrigated our fields.”
District’s deputy director, agriculture (DDA) Girish Nagpal said more than about 75,000 hectares of land in Ambala is under wheat cultivation.
“Ongoing weather conditions are conducive enough for better yield of Rabi crops. At this stage of wheat, cold weather is also beneficial,” DDA Nagpal said.
He added that thousands of farmers in the state, including Ambala, are given timely information on weather through text messages on their mobile phones from Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agriculture University’s, agriculture meteorology department.
To a query on whether the area cultivated under wheat in Ambala has declined due to the farmers’ agitation, an official said, “There has been no decline in the area and more than about 75,000 hectares of land is cultivated under wheat. Not even one acre of land is empty in the district. Farmers are never careless about their crops. Even during the Covid-19 lockdown, farmers obtained permits, harvested wheat and cultivated paddy.”