Express News Service
DEHRADUN: Farmers in the upper areas of Uttarakhand and shepherds are facing the brunt of unseasonal rains. While rains in hilly areas caused heavy damage to fruit cultivation, around 350 goats died in the lightning in the Dunda block of Uttarkashi on Saturday night.
On Sunday, teams of the revenue department, animal husbandry department and SDRF reached the spot to assess the damage caused by the bad weather. According to the information received by the state headquarters in the capital, around 350 goats were killed when lightning struck in a forest at Mathanau Tok near Khattukhal village in the Dunda development block of Uttarkashi. Dunda Village Pradhan Sunita Negi told this newspaper that Sanjeev Rawat, a pastoralist of village Bharsu in Bhatwadi block, has the highest number of 188 goats killed in the natural disaster.
“The owners insure their cattle. However, if this does not happen, the government gives compensation on humanitarian grounds. Our demand from the government will be that the affected cattle owners should be given adequate compensation,” said Sunita Negi.
In Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday visited Moga, Muktsar, Bathinda and Patiala districts of the state where crops were damaged by hailstorms and rains. He assured the farmers that they would be duly compensated for the loss.
If a farmer suffers more than 75 per cent crop loss, the state government will provide a compensation of Rs 15,000 per acre. If the loss is between 33 and 75 per cent, the compensation would be Rs 6,750 per acre, Mann said. Labourers will get 10 per cent as compensation while Rs 95,100 would be paid as indemnity for damage to houses because of bad weather, he said.
Untimely rain accompanied by hail and high-velocity winds damaged wheat and other crops in several parts of Punjab. The chief minister announced that the state government would soon introduce a crop insurance scheme to safeguard the interest of farmers from nature’s fury.
He alleged that the crop insurance scheme announced by the Centre remained confined to papers. The Punjab government shall always be committed to the welfare of the farmers and farm labourers, Mann said while asserting that he can well understand the agony and pain of farmers who suffered heavy losses due to sudden and erratic changes in weather.
Initial reports indicate that several acres of the cultivated area have been affected at a stage when Rabi crops were almost ready for harvest, he said. The CM said he has directed the financial commissioner to issue detailed instructions to the deputy commissioners concerned to immediately carry out a crop loss assessment to ascertain the damage. A report from Lucknow said recent storms have dashed the hopes of mango farmers in UP.
Massive crop damage in 3 states
Uttarakhand
Rains caused heavy damage to fruits cultivationAround 350 goats died in Uttarkashi. Cattle owners demanded that they be given adequate compensation
Punjab
Hailstorms and rains damage crops in Moga, Muktsar, Bathinda and Patiala districtsHail and high-velocity winds affect wheat and other crops
Uttar Pradesh Bad weather and lower-than-normal temperature has hit 40 per cent of mango crop
DEHRADUN: Farmers in the upper areas of Uttarakhand and shepherds are facing the brunt of unseasonal rains. While rains in hilly areas caused heavy damage to fruit cultivation, around 350 goats died in the lightning in the Dunda block of Uttarkashi on Saturday night.
On Sunday, teams of the revenue department, animal husbandry department and SDRF reached the spot to assess the damage caused by the bad weather. According to the information received by the state headquarters in the capital, around 350 goats were killed when lightning struck in a forest at Mathanau Tok near Khattukhal village in the Dunda development block of Uttarkashi. Dunda Village Pradhan Sunita Negi told this newspaper that Sanjeev Rawat, a pastoralist of village Bharsu in Bhatwadi block, has the highest number of 188 goats killed in the natural disaster.
“The owners insure their cattle. However, if this does not happen, the government gives compensation on humanitarian grounds. Our demand from the government will be that the affected cattle owners should be given adequate compensation,” said Sunita Negi.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
In Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday visited Moga, Muktsar, Bathinda and Patiala districts of the state where crops were damaged by hailstorms and rains. He assured the farmers that they would be duly compensated for the loss.
If a farmer suffers more than 75 per cent crop loss, the state government will provide a compensation of Rs 15,000 per acre. If the loss is between 33 and 75 per cent, the compensation would be Rs 6,750 per acre, Mann said. Labourers will get 10 per cent as compensation while Rs 95,100 would be paid as indemnity for damage to houses because of bad weather, he said.
Untimely rain accompanied by hail and high-velocity winds damaged wheat and other crops in several parts of Punjab. The chief minister announced that the state government would soon introduce a crop insurance scheme to safeguard the interest of farmers from nature’s fury.
He alleged that the crop insurance scheme announced by the Centre remained confined to papers. The Punjab government shall always be committed to the welfare of the farmers and farm labourers, Mann said while asserting that he can well understand the agony and pain of farmers who suffered heavy losses due to sudden and erratic changes in weather.
Initial reports indicate that several acres of the cultivated area have been affected at a stage when Rabi crops were almost ready for harvest, he said. The CM said he has directed the financial commissioner to issue detailed instructions to the deputy commissioners concerned to immediately carry out a crop loss assessment to ascertain the damage. A report from Lucknow said recent storms have dashed the hopes of mango farmers in UP.
Massive crop damage in 3 states
Uttarakhand
Rains caused heavy damage to fruits cultivation
Around 350 goats died in Uttarkashi. Cattle owners demanded that they be given adequate compensation
Punjab
Hailstorms and rains damage crops in Moga, Muktsar, Bathinda and Patiala districts
Hail and high-velocity winds affect wheat and other crops
Uttar Pradesh
Bad weather and lower-than-normal temperature has hit 40 per cent of mango crop
