The district administration on Monday began the process to conduct special girdawari to assess the exact loss caused to the standing wheat crop due to the recent heavy rains coupled with gusty winds and hailstorm in the district.
After unprecedented heat that had led to fears of shrivelling of grains, the inclement weather during the past fortnight had poured misery on a large number of farmers in the district.
While the exact loss will be ascertained during the special girdawari, preliminary estimates have revealed that standing wheat crop in at least 55,000 hectares, which constitutes almost 23 per cent of the total 2.43 lakh hectares area under wheat cultivation, was flattened due to inundating of the fields and lodging. At least 3 per cent of the ready-to-ripe cereal grain plants were also feared damaged.
However, the halt in rain since Sunday and sunny days on Sunday and Monday have revived hopes of a majority of affected farmers with the inundated fields being drained out through various means and the flattened crop being lifted again.
Taking cognisance of the situation, the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had on Sunday ordered special girdawari to assess the damage to wheat crop due to inclement weather and rain across the state.
Acting on the directions, Revenue and Agriculture officials began field visits on Monday to meet the affected farmers and make on-the-spot assessment of the damage caused to the staple food in various parts of the district.
A team led by Gill MLA Jeewan Singh Sangowal and comprising South SDM Swati Tiwana and Chief Agriculture Officer (CAO) Dr Narinder Singh Benipal along with other officials visited Lalton Kalan, Jassowal, Alamgeer and Gill villages in the district during the day.
A visit to various parts of the district revealed that the wheat crop in vast areas of fields has fallen flat while the rainwater that had caused lodging and flooding of the fields has almost receded in most pockets across 11 blocks in the district.
CAO Dr Benipal told The Tribune that besides conducting special girdawari ordered by the CM, a separate technical resolution report was also being prepared to assess the current loss and suggest ways and means to avert such losses in future.
He added that the reports of special girdawari and technical resolution would soon be sent to the state government and the farmers would be compensated as per government directions.
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