Eagerly waiting for fresh policy on mining, allowing farmers to sell sand deposited in their fields: KMM

The government made an announcement hours after KMM leaders at a meeting held under the chairmanship of Dilbag Singh Harigarh and Balwant Singh Bahiramke raised the demand of allowing farmers to sell sand deposited in their fields to “recover from their losses”.

Local farmers pointed out that, in 2023, too, floods had damaged nearly 2.21 lakh acres of farmland and deposited a thick layer of sand in the fields. “Not a single farmer was allowed to sell the sand. FIRs were lodged if anyone tried. We were told to plough sand-deposited fields, mixing sand with the soil. This time, we will not accept such injustice,” said Iqbal Singh Mallah, nambardar, Muthianwala village, Ferozepur district.

At the meeting, Harigarh and Bahiramke said farmers suffered huge losses and would not tolerate any hurdles in selling sand in their fields. “If the government or mining department obstructs, we will launch a statewide agitation,” warned Pandher, announcing that memorandums demanding compensation for losses caused by floods would be handed over to all Deputy Commissioners across the state on September 12.

“Strong river currents completely eroded soil in riverbeds, while floodwater has deposited sand in fields. Farmers have lost everything, let them, at least, recover something out of selling sand deposits,” Pandher demanding that farmers should be allowed to sell the sand after the water recedes.

Pandher said, “This time, floods are not just nature’s fury, but the result of the government’s mismanagement and interference with rivers.”

Farmer leaders lauded the support extended by people of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and abroad to flood victims, especially highlighting the historic role being played by the youths.

At the meeting, Pandher and Baldev Singh Zira reviewed the 14-month-long farmers’ agitation at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders in 2024-25, terming it “a historic united struggle” despite the government’s attempt to crush it. They reiterated that the fight for farmers’ demands would continue, and sought compensation for losses to Morcha’s equipment during the crackdown on March 19.

KMM, SKM criticise Centre for not declaring floods a national calamity

Criticising the central government for “failing to declare floods a national calamity,” KMM leaders Harigarh and Bahiramke said, “Punjab feeds the nation, yet such a big disaster has been ignored. The Centre must declare it a national disaster and release large-scale funds.”

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), in a statement, condemned the Union government’s “criminal negligence and unjustifiable delay” to declare floods in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Haryana and parts of Rajasthan and Delhi as a national disaster, stating “the delay has intensified the suffering, leaving victims without adequate relief, compensation and adequate and timely provisional rehabilitation”.

Expressing their “profound grief,” SKM leaders said that they stand in unwavering solidarity with the people enduring the catastrophic impact of unprecedented floods and landslides.

“The central government’s response has been marked by blame-shifting, bureaucratic obstruction and the deliberate neglect of opposition-ruled states. The Union government has to cease using disaster management as a weapon to punish political opponents, instead cooperating with all the state governments with respect and mutual trust to release critical funds without delay,” SKM stated.

“The Disaster Management (Amendment) Act, 2025, is a blatant attempt to centralise power and abdicate responsibility. By replacing the term ‘compensation’ with ‘relief,’ the government is shirking its legal and moral obligation to provide compensation to the victims,” said the SKM statement.

According to the statement, the SKM strongly demanded the Union Government “to immediately declare the floods and landslides in the affected states a National Disaster; rollback the Disaster Management (Amendment) Act, 2025, which denies victims their right to fair compensation; revise compensation norms to reflect current economic realities and provide Rs 100,000 as immediate relief for every affected family of farmers, rural labourers, artisans, and small businesses; Rs 25 lakh as ex-gratia for each life lost and Rs 70,000 per hectare for damaged crops; full compensation for lost livestock, farm equipment, and horticultural losses; Rs 50,000 compensation to all affected families of agricultural workers and rural workers; and complete loan waivers for all households in flood-affected areas.

Criticising the Punjab government, farmer leader Satnam Singh Pannu said, “People are managing relief on their own as the state government is missing on the ground. Inadequate boats, no storage for relief material, no damage reports… Punjab government has failed on every front.”