Crops on 5,500 hectares destroyed in Lohian block

Jalandhar, July 11

Crops in an estimated area of 5,500 hectares have been destroyed in the Lohian block of Jalandhar district due to floods as the fields remained totally submerged in water in the area today.

Officials from the Agriculture Department visited Lohian today to make an assessment of the losses. Agriculture Officer Jaswinder Singh said they would now visit Phillaur block to make an assessment of the damage. The official added that Shahkot had seen comparatively less damage.

Ranjeet Singh, a marginal farmer from Mundi Cholian village in Lohian, said he used to sow paddy on five acres of land on contract. “I have lost everything. How am I going to bear the losses?” a distressed Ranjeet asked.

Crops have been entirely submerged in as many as 32 villages in Lohian. These include Kang Khurd, Sardarwala, Gidderpindi, Bara Bodh Singh, Gatta Mundi Kasu, Mundu Kalu, Mandala, Nasirpur, Manak and Nall villages.

Another marginal farmer from Nasirpur said the situation had put him into a very tough time for him. “How can we survive in such conditions? We had witnessed a similar situation in 2019 but did not expect that we would have to go through it again,” the farmer said.