Rain, hail damaged crops on 75,000 acres in Rohtak: Dept

Ravinder Saini

Rohtak, March 4

In the aftermath of torrential rains and hailstorms that struck the state on Saturday, wheat, mustard and barley crop on 75,000 acres in 30 villages have suffered losses of more than 50 per cent. This was revealed by the local office of the Agriculture Department and the Farmers’ Welfare Department in its report of a preliminary survey that was conducted to assess the crop losses.

The damage to the wheat and mustard crops has been reported on around 59,000 and 15,000 acres, respectively, while barley crop has suffered losses on over 1,000 acres. The villages falling under Rohtak, Sampla and Kalanaur blocks were affected by hailstorm, sources said.

Agriculture Dept’s findings

• The damage to the wheat and mustard crops has been reported on around 59,000 and 15,000 acres, respectively, while barley crop has suffered losses on over 1,000 acres
• The villages falling under Rohtak, Sampla and Kalanaur blocks were affected by hailstorm

“The worst-affected villages include Baland, Aassan, Bakheta, Bhalaut, Dhamar, Humayupur, Kabulpur, Kahni, Kiloi Khas, Kiloi Dopana, Mungaan, Samar Gopalpur and Ritoli. More than 50 per cent losses to the crops have been reported in these villages while some more villages have suffered losses up to 50%,” said Dr Karam Chand, Deputy Director (Agriculture), Rohtak.

Worst-affected villages

The worst-hit villages include Baland, Aassan, Bakheta, Bhalaut, Dhamar, Humayupur, Kabulpur, Kahni, Kiloi Khas, Kiloi Dopana, Mungaan, Samar Gopalpur and Ritoli. More than 50 per cent losses have been reported in these villages. —Dr Karam Chand, Deputy director (Agriculture), Rohtak

He said they had submitted the report to the state authorities while the farmers had been asked to register their losses at the Kshatipurti portal. The registration of crops is also essential at ‘Meri Fasal Mera Byora’ portal for getting compensation for the losses. Meanwhile, distressed farmers from various villages today reached the Deputy Commissioner’s office and demanded that the state government should conduct a special girdawari for assessing the crop losses instead of forcing them to adopt the portal route.

“The hailstorms have completely ruined a large number of farmers following the extensive losses to their wheat, mustard and barley crops. We want a special girdawari for compensating the farmers but the state government is forcing us to register our losses on the portal. This is a complicated process and a majority of the farmers don’t know how to register on it,” said Sumit Singh, state secretary, All India Kisan Sabha.

He said they were demanding removal of the portal system as the farmers who had registered their crop losses by the hailstorms on the portal in the kharif and rabi season of 2023 had not yet been given compensation.

Meanwhile, Vaishali Singh, ADC, Rohtak, said 774 farmers had so far registered their crop losses on over 2,723 acres on the e-Kshatipurti portal. She has appealed to other farmers also to register their losses on the portal for the compensation. The portal will remain open till March 15.