Before the monsoon bid adieu in Madhya Pradesh, two days of unseasonal rains have wreaked havoc in the State. The rains destroyed paddy crops completely while the mustard crop which was to be sown in the Gwalior-Chambal region has also got substantial damages.
The farmers are already battling spiralling fuel prices and fertiliser shortages in the State.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has ordered surveys so that extent of damages could be assessed. Siyaram Patidar, a farmer from Ratibad said that till a few days ago, his standing crops were flourishing but now the entire crop has been floored by the heavy rains in the last two days. Harvesting will now be a costly affair and the land which normally would have given a yield of 18-quintals would only offer 12-quintals at maximum, said Patidar.
After a long gap, the State was lashed by heavy rains last Saturday and Sunday. “We toiled hard for the last six months but overnight rains on Sunday spoilt everything,” Manohar Patidar, another farmer from the area, said.
It was a good crop this year but within a few hours, all was destroyed, said the middle-aged farmer. Gwalior-Chambal which bore the brunt of floods this year again saw torrential rains damaging crops in the region on weekend.
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One of the affected districts, Sheopur, saw around six inches of downpour within ten hours. The region had seen the destruction of Kharif crops and now the fresh showers dashed their remaining hopes destroying soybean and mustard crops.
Paddy wasn’t ready and it is all over for the crop, said Sukhwinder Singh, a farmer from Sheopur who alleged that they are yet awaiting compensation for the August floods.
The Shivraj government, however, has promised farmers to compensate in the hour of crisis and has ordered surveys in the affected areas.
“The unseasonal rains have damaged crops in some regions but farmers need not worry as we have ordered surveys and damages will be compensated,” Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.
“We will make sure, the farmers get the benefits of crop insurance. We have ordered the collectors to undertake videography and assess damages of the standing and harvested crops due to untimely rains,” Agriculture Minister Kamal Patel announced on Tuesday.
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