As many as 1.56 lakh farmers from Haryana’s 2,776 villages have registered 9.18 lakh acres of agricultural land on the e-Kshatipurti portal so far and sought claims for their damaged crops.
In the last three days, nearly one lakh farmers have registered crop damage on 5.5 lakh acres of land as heavy rainfall continues to lash the state. In the last two days, more damage of crops was registered in Mahendergarh and Hisar, where fields are inundated and farmers are struggling to drain the water.
As per the government portal, Hisar is the worst affected with 24,087 farmers from 276 villages registering crop damage on 1.53 lakh acres of land, followed by Mahendergarh with 33,348 farmers from 373 villages registering crop damage on 1.46 lakh acres of land, in Charkhi Dadri 27,027 farmers from 170 villages registered damage on 1.38 lakh acres of land, Bhiwani (21,543 farmers from 110 villages) on 1.37 lakh acres of land, Jhajjar (12,856 farmers from 260 villages) on 83,606 acre of land and Rohtak (8,213 farmers from 50 villages) on 55,250 acre of land.
The farmers, who had not insured their crops can make claims for the damaged crops on e-Kshatipurti portal and the compensation to insured farmers is provided by private companies under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) scheme.
On August 21, Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini had announced the opening of the portal for the farmers of 188 villages in seven districts. After, it was opened for 1,402 villages across 12 districts of the state till September 10.
The reported damage due to natural calamity also comes at a time when the farmers have already suffered losses due to the spread of southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV) in the last month.
Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Friday said flood control and relief work being done by the BJP government of the state was inadequate. He demanded 100% compensation for the damage caused to the crops by floods.
In a statement, the Congress leader said the state government should immediately start the process of special girdawari. “The damage caused to houses and shops should also be inspected and compensation should be announced soon,” Hooda demanded.
Hooda said he was collecting information from across the state and it appears that more than half of the districts have been hit by floods and the situation is likely to worsen due to the possibility of rain in the coming days. Thus, the government should display readiness to provide water drainage and assistance to flood-affected areas, he said.
Former two-time Badhra MLA Ran Singh Mann said that crops have been damaged by 90% to 100% in Charkhi Dadri and Bhiwani districts. He said that the government should give orders of special girdawari (crop assessment) and provide compensation to the farmers.
“This time, farmers were expecting bumper production due to timely rainfall but the rainfall in the last couple of days has destroyed the crops. The ministers are missing on the ground and farmers in both the districts are hopeless,” he added.
Congress leader Surender Saini from Hisar, who visited several flood affected villages in the district said that the administration should provide motor-pump sets to the villagers and help them in draining water from the fields.
“More than 80 villages in the district are inundated. Crops of cotton and bajra were completely damaged in the district. The government should provide immediate relief to the farmers,” he added.