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Grain stored in the open at mandis in Punjab's Amritsar and Delhi's Narela was damaged by heavy rain on Thursday, leaving farmers dealing with losses.
At the Bhagtanwala grain market in Amritsar, sacks of grain left in the open were soaked by the downpour. Farmer Kawaljit Singh said the rain returned soon after farmers brought their produce to the market. "It has been raining. It started raining again once we brought the grains here. The grains are all moist and damaged now. This is a huge loss for farmers...All sacks of grains are moist. We demand compensation from the Govt," he told ANI. Taking aim at the Punjab AAP government over the damage, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former Punjab Minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia called the situation a "total failure" of the state government. He claimed that sowing began early this year, so crops reached the mandis ahead of schedule, but procurement and lifting of produce have not started. "The government has dealt a double blow to the farmers. First, the sowing season began early this year, which meant the crops matured and reached the mandis ahead of schedule. Yet, the government remained fast asleep; even now, they have failed to initiate the lifting of produce. There is no procurement or lifting taking place. Consequently, farmers were forced to sell their crops at low prices, and then the rain struck, compounding their misery," he said. Majithia also alleged that farmers have yet to receive compensation for earlier crop damage and floods. He accused the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of having no focus other than "looting the state." "The farmers haven't even received compensation for previous losses, let alone talking about new compensation. Losses from earlier crop damage, or even from the floods that occurred previously- none of that has been compensated yet. It seems the Chief Minister has no focus on anything other than looting the state," he said. At the New Grain Market in Narela, grain stored in the open was similarly damaged. A farmer from Etah in Uttar Pradesh claimed there were no tin sheds to protect produce. "It is raining, and there are no arrangements for a tin shed here...Farmers have suffered great loss. I had brought 200 quintals of grain here. All of that is now drenched. I will not get anything now," he said. Another farmer, who said he came from Jaleswar, said it had been raining since morning. He said the tin sheds were full and the few tents available were not enough. "My grains are all drenched now. This is a great loss. There are no facilities here. The tin sheds are all full. There are a few tents but those are not enough," he said. Earlier, heavy rainfall lashed parts of Delhi, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, light to moderate rainfall and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph during the afternoon, evening and night on Thursday (October 15). The spell of rain brought cooler conditions across the region, with overcast skies and showers marking a change in the weather. (ANI)
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