Report on crop loss within week

JIND, Oct 29: The Central team visited Jind, Julana and Narwana blocks yesterday to make an on the spot survey of damaged crops due to un...

JIND, Oct 29: The Central team visited Jind, Julana and Narwana blocks yesterday to make an on the spot survey of damaged crops due to unseasonal rains and floods. The team headed by J. A Negi, executive director, National Horticulture Board and comprising officials of agriculture, food and supplies, finance and planning Union ministries, would submit its report to the Central government within a week.

At Garhwali village, which was three to four feet under water and entire crops of paddy, cotton, bajra and jwar had been destroyed, the team saw the paddy, lying under the water, while the farmers were carrying the damaged paddy on charpais cots or on tractor tubes. Sunder Singh, sarpanch of the village, told the team members, that the state government had not paid any compensation.

At Kinana village, residents demanded the draining out of water from the fields and adequate compensation for the damage to crops. Similarly at Bichanpura village, where the Jind-Rohtak road had been closed to heavy vehicles for the last fortnight, the team members were moved when they saw the farmers weeping. Banwari Lal, former sarpanch of the village, said the farmers were panicky and were worried about the next crop too.

While briefing the team, Deputy Commissioner Tarun Bajaj said 126 villages were affected due to untimely rains and 40 villages were assessed as worst hit. He further said the standing crops in 65,000 acres were damaged. At present 224 pumping sets were lifting the water and 964 cusec water was being pumping out daily. He added that 18 medical teams and 84 animal husbandry teams were visiting affected villages daily.

Hundreds of farmers waited in vain at Sunderpura village of Narwana block when the team did not stop to hear the grievances of the flood-hit farmers.The survey team also visited Sunderpura, Badanpur, Ismailpura and Faren villages of Narwana block.

J P Negi told The Indian Express that the team was visibly moved by the heavy losses of crops in Jind district. They would submit the report to the Central government within a week, he said.