Bihar storm toll rises to 48, farmers count losses

In Purnia, Kalanand Yadav’s two acre maize crops is destroyed in just 20 minutes on the night of April 21. He had taken a loan of Rs 32,000 from the bank and he was hoping to get at least Rs 1,500 per quintal. Today, he goes to his maize field again and again to see if crops can stand all over again. Yadav (45) has no idea what to do next. He is still waiting for the government survey team to register his crop damage. He is desperate to know if his loan can be waived.

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This is almost the story of nearly 700 farmers of Kudaili village under Dagarua block — the worst cyclone storm-hit area. The village of small and medium farmers, several of them share-croppers and lease-holders, had not seen crop devastation of this scale in the past two decades.

Mahendra Yadav, another farmer, is a devastated man. His eight acre maize crop has suffered 60-80 per cent damage. He too has a loan of Rs 2.5 lakh. The cyclone fell his 20 mango trees and 12 litchi trees. He is now back to running a small medicine shop in a neighbouring town. “What is left for me in this village? I used to boast of my maize yields but I have nothing left now. I have to support a family of seven. My mango orchard which used to fetch me Rs 75,000 every season has gone with the winds,” said Mahendra, riding his bike to get back to his medicine sal shop.

There are several scenes of destruction in Dagarua, 15 km from Purnia town. At least 20 villages of the block are destroyed. Thatched and tin-shade houses are dislodged. Of 30 casualties in the district, 19 people were killed in this block. Two 10-year-old girls died in Kudaili village.

Krishnalal Yadav, another distraught farmer, said hybrid maize seeds had increased yields in the past five years attracting more and more farmers take to maize cultivation. Then he said, philosophically: “Nature played a leveller. We were expecting Rs 1,500 per quintal price from Gulab Bagh mandi this season but all is lost.”

As he narrates his tale, several farmers gather to take down their names so that the government can consider compensation. Shambhu Kumar, who runs a small provision store in the village, said they depended more on maize than paddy yields in two-crop cycle. “Even a small farmer with two bighas of land is confident with maize crop. When cyclonic storms settled, most of us ran towards maize crops in night rather than checking what is blown away from houses,” said Kumar.