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Following extensive waterlogging, nearly 200 families of Litani village in Haryana’s Hisar have been forced to leave their homes and seek shelter with relatives in neighbouring areas. Villagers said they have been grappling with severe water accumulation for the past 12 days, and alleged the administration has not offered any substantial support so far.
A farmer from the village, Karan Singh, told The Indian Express, “We are suffering even more because rainwater from five neighbouring villages has also flowed into our village and flooded our agricultural fields.” He added, “In some houses, water has risen up to seven feet, making it extremely difficult for several families to stay. Our crops are in terrible condition—around 3,000 acres out of the total 4,400 acres of farmland are under water.”
Balwan Singh Nain, father-in-law of the village sarpanch, said, “The 200 families left the village, which has a population of around 12,000, after nearly 75 per cent of its area got inundated. One resident had built his house with an investment of Rs 40 lakh, and now it is submerged under five feet of water.”
Nain further stated that Anish Yadav, Deputy Commissioner, Hisar, and leaders from various political parties visited the village on Thursday. “But no substantive support has come from any corner,” he added. Villagers also pointed out that only two pumps are currently operating to drain out water from the village.
608 mm of rainfall recorded till September 5
According to the Agricultural Meteorology Department of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University in Hisar, the average rainfall in the region during the months of July, August, and September is 298 mm. However, this year, a total of 608 mm of rainfall has already been recorded as of September 5.
In addition, a large volume of water has reached the Ghaggar multipurpose drain and other drains from Jind, according to DC Yadav. “All drains are flowing at more than twice their capacity, which has led to waterlogging in low-lying villages like Litani. Continuous dewatering is being carried out in these villages using pumps, but persistent rain remains a challenge. As a precaution, people are taking shelter in safe locations. Food supplies are being provided to these individuals to ensure they do not face any difficulties,” the DC said.
A senior administrative officer told The Indian Express that directions would be issued immediately to the officials concerned to address the situation. According to Karan Singh, other villages in the district, including Chainat, Bhatla, Kharkadi, Khokha, Badhor, Data, Gurana, Khanpur Sindhar, Hasangarh, Bithmada, Khairi, Gangwa, and Tokas Patan, are also facing waterlogging due to heavy rain.
Services of e-Kshatipurti portal extended
Haryana Public Works and Public Health Engineering Minister Ranbir Gangwa said the services of the e-Kshatipurti portal have now been extended across more villages in Hisar district for reporting crop damage caused by waterlogging. “Earlier, the portal covered only 81 villages. Now, farmers from 276 villages can register their crop losses online,” he said.
The newly added villages include 30 in Adampur tehsil, 19 in Balsmand, 28 in Barwala, 19 in Bans, 43 in Hansi, 87 in Hisar, 17 in Khedi Jalba, 18 in Narnaund, and 15 in Uklana.
So far, around 25,000 farmers have reported crop damage across nearly 1.45 lakh acres. The minister urged other affected farmers to complete the self-verification process on the portal promptly to obtain timely relief.
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