Punjab floods leave farmers stranded between two seasons

With floodwaters marooning numerous Punjab villages, 62-year-old Amarjeet Singh from Kalanuar village in Gurdaspur district faces concerns beyond his immediate paddy crop losses — the prospect of sowing wheat in the upcoming winter season now appears to be a daunting challenge.

“My entire crop is ruined, it has been submerged under flood water for days now and I have lost any hope of it recovering even if the water recedes. Even now, there’s around three to four feet of water in the field. The flood water from the Ravi river entered my field, bringing muck and debris, making the chance of crop recovery a bleak possibility,” said Mr. Singh, who, along with his nephew, has sown paddy in around 60 acres of leased panchayat land.

Gurdaspur has been among the worst flood-hit districts, along with Amritsar, Mansa, Ferozepur, and Fazilka, which together account for the bulk of agricultural losses.

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‘Months to rebuild’

“My loss is not limited to the current damage by floods,” said Mr. Singh. “I am now concerned about the sowing of wheat, which I would be doing in the winter season. I am not sure how much time this water will take to recede. After it recedes, it will take months to rebuild the farm for cropping. We usually sow wheat in early November here, but it appears to be difficult this time. Late sowing would eventually result in low yield, which again means loss,” he pointed out.

Harjeet Singh Kalon, the Gurdaspur district president of the Democratic Kisan Sabha, expressed concern about the severe agricultural losses. “Almost the entire village land was submerged under flood water following breaches from the Ravi river a few days ago. Crops in thousands of acres have been destroyed, and we urge the government to immediately provide financial assistance to the sufferers,” he said.

This is among the worst flood situations that Punjab has faced in recent decades, with almost 2,000 villages affected across all districts in the State. The rains have left the Sutlej, Ravi, and Beas rivers in spate. Several roads, low-lying areas, and farmland have been inundated following the rains. Almost four lakh people have been impacted, with 46 reported deaths till September 6. Crops on 1.72 lakh hectares have been damaged in 18 of the State’s 23 districts.

‘National disaster’

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has urged the Union government to declare a “national disaster” situation in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu-Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Haryana.

In Manawalan Kalan village of Amritsar district, farmer Jagbir Singh, 63, is also worried about the loss of the next season’s crop. “I have planted Basmati rice in my field, but the majority of it has been damaged by heavy rains and gusty winds in the past few days. I usually harvest Basmati in the last week of July, but this year, whatever crop is left, I am unable to harvest that as well, owing to inclement weather,” he said, noting that he has sown rice on 15 acres of land.

“Also, I used to cultivate vegetables ahead of the winter wheat crop, but due to the delay in harvesting of rice, I will be unable to sow vegetables now, again adding to my loss,” he said.

Compensation for damaged crops

Farmer outfits are demanding an immediate release of compensation for flood victims from the Union and State governments. 

“We want immediate compensation for damaged crops. At least ₹70,000 per acre compensation should be given for all damaged paddy crops. Farmers have lost their livestock as well. Paddy is the key kharif crop in Punjab, and floods have damaged at least 30% of the crop across the State. The muck in paddy fields has ruined the crop in thousands of acres,” said Jagmohan Singh, general secretary, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Dakonda).

Nirbhay Singh, president of the Kirti Kisan Union, said that the governments should provide a complete loan waiver for farmers and farm labourers as they are already under a severe debt burden, and the current floods have aggravated their misery.