Massive losses for farmers as floods ruin crops in Gujarat

-The Hindu

Government has begun assessment of damage and will pay compensation: Minister

Floods caused by incessant rains in parts of Gujarat have nearly ruined crops in more than eight lakh hectares leaving farmers, who expected bumper yield with the onset of monsoon, devastated.

Farmers particularly in the Saurashtra region have been hugely hit as floods have destroyed their groundnut and cotton crops, the mainstay of agriculture. Pulses and sesame have also been damaged substantially.

Still under water

Thousands of hectares of crop area is still under water in Jamnagar, Rajkot, Amreli, Somnath, Junagadh, Porbandar, Botad and Bhavnagar and Morbi districts.

“There has been large scale destruction of crops in several districts. The government has begun the assessment of the damage and farmers will be paid compensation for their losses,” said RC Faldu, Agriculture Minister after the issue was discussed in the weekly Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

He said the government agencies would complete the survey to assess losses within two weeks as many areas are still under water.

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