Heavy rain damages paddy in Punjab, farmers demand compensation as opposition targets AAP

Heavy rainfall across several parts of Punjab on Sunday sparked fears of extensive damage to paddy and other crops, with farmers demanding a special girdawari (crop loss assessment) and immediate compensation, while opposition parties accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of failing to make adequate arrangements for paddy procurement in grain markets.

Rain also lashed several parts of neighbouring Haryana, bringing temperatures a few notches below normal. In Punjab, farmers reported damage to standing crops, including vegetables, while waterlogging in grain markets raised concerns about the quality and quantity of harvested paddy awaiting procurement. Opposition leaders claimed that inadequate drainage and insufficient protection against rain had worsened the situation, particularly at the Fazilka grain market, where large quantities of paddy were reportedly submerged or swept away.

Farmers seek crop assessment

Bharti Kisan Union (Rajewal) president Balbir Singh Rajewal said the rainfall had caused considerable damage to crops across Punjab, with hailstorms in several areas aggravating farmers' losses. He urged the state government to immediately assess the damage and provide financial assistance to affected cultivators.

"At many places, there were hailstorms which would damage vegetables and paddy. The government should order a special girdawari to compensate farmers for their losses," Rajewal said.

Farmers expressed concern that heavy rainfall during the harvesting season could affect both standing paddy and produce already transported to grain markets. They demanded that the government conduct a comprehensive assessment of losses and ensure that compensation was provided without delay.

Fazilka mandi submerged

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal alleged that farmers had suffered substantial losses at the Fazilka grain market after a heavy downpour submerged heaps of harvested paddy and swept away a large quantity of the produce.

"Since the market was submerged in five to six feet of water, a large amount of paddy which had arrived at the mandi was swept away," Badal said.

He claimed that paddy remaining underwater for a prolonged period was also likely to be damaged, adding that inadequate drainage facilities had exposed farmers to avoidable financial losses. According to Badal, the authorities had failed to take preventive measures despite forecasts of heavy rainfall.

"The imminent heavy rain spell was also forecast but they did not take required measures to safeguard the paddy crop lying in the mandi," he said.

The SAD leader demanded immediate improvements in drainage facilities across Punjab's grain markets and a comprehensive girdawari wherever standing paddy had been flattened by heavy rain. He also called for advance compensation of ₹50,000 per acre, citing what he described as an earlier commitment by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

Badal maintained that farmers should not have to bear losses resulting from inadequate infrastructure and administrative preparedness, particularly when their harvested produce had already reached government-regulated procurement markets.

BJP questions preparedness

Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon also criticised the AAP government, alleging that Sunday's rainfall had exposed serious shortcomings in its arrangements for the ongoing paddy procurement season.

Dhillon said visuals emerging from the Fazilka grain market were deeply concerning, with harvested paddy, cultivated through months of hard work, seen submerged in rainwater. He warned that if grain markets were facing such conditions at the beginning of the harvesting season, farmers could encounter even greater difficulties in the coming weeks.

The BJP leader alleged that inadequate drainage, a shortage of tarpaulins and the absence of essential crop protection arrangements had left farmers vulnerable to weather-related losses. He claimed that similar problems were being reported from other towns and villages across Punjab.

"The lack of proper arrangements to protect farmers' produce in mandis raises serious questions about the government's preparedness," Dhillon said.

Targeting Mann, he said the government should concentrate on resolving farmers' problems rather than engaging in political rhetoric. He argued that farmers invested substantial amounts of money and labour in cultivation and should not be forced to suffer financial losses because of inadequate arrangements at procurement centres.

"If crops nurtured like their own sons are damaged by waterlogging in mandis, the financial burden ultimately falls on the farmers themselves, for which the state government is directly responsible," he said.

Demand for immediate relief

Dhillon urged the AAP government to address farmers' grievances by ensuring proper drainage, adequate tarpaulins, effective crop protection measures and smooth procurement operations in all grain markets.

He said farmers should not face difficulties while selling their produce or be forced to watch their harvest deteriorate because of waterlogging and administrative shortcomings.

The opposition parties demanded that the state government assess the damage without delay and announce compensation for farmers whose standing crops or harvested produce had been affected.

The extent of the losses across Punjab was not immediately clear, and a comprehensive official assessment had yet to emerge. However, the rainfall has brought renewed attention to the condition of grain market infrastructure and the need for adequate safeguards during the crucial paddy harvesting and procurement season.