2,000 hectares rendered uncultivable due to floods in Patiala district

Patiala, August 3

The district administration, which is carrying out a special girdawari in flood-affected areas of the district, has identified 2,000 hectares, which has been rendered completely uncultivable.

Officials at the district agriculture office here said the administration was carrying out special girdawari for such areas and the farmers would be provided compensation for the same.

As per the girdawari, crops on as much as 35,000 hectares were damaged due to the floods. “We are carrying out the girdawari throughout the district. We have identified over 2,000 hectares, which have been rendered completely uncultivable. Soil from the Ghaggar has deposited on the land rendering it uncultivable for the next few months. The land owners will be provided compensation as per the special girdawari. Also, we have suggested the farmers to sow alternative crops in areas where the crop has been damaged,” an official said.

Officials said there are areas in Ghanaur, Devigarh and Shutrana where the Ghaggar water will not dry for months.

Meanwhile, farmers of the Ghanaur area said they had incurred huge losses. “We have lost the already sown crops, while many of us will not be able to sow the next crop owing to the sand deposited in the fields. The government should provide us double the compensation.”