The farmers in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan have suffered heavily due to heavy rainfall for the last few days and the crop are completely damaged. Yesterday’s news informed that some 51 thousand hectares of agricultural area are under the threat which has raised concern among the local farmers and agricultural departments.
The unseasonal rain has principally affected kharif crops which were in different phases of maturity. Farmers in the district had expected plenty this season but the rains have now taken a toll on their expectations. Among such crops, bajra, jowar, and pulses have been impacted the most, and many fields are waterlogged now with plants rotting and many diseases attacking crops.
Local agricultural officials have been sent to the scene to establish the loss incurred and help the farmers. Every estimate reveals that the losses could easily put it into crores of rupees hitting the agricultural economy of the region very badly. Small and marginal farmers whose entire source of income comes from their fields today do not have a fixed income generating idea.
The district administration action has been precipitated into action, with their officials beginning to move round different parts of the affected districts as they assess the level of loss. They have all pledged their support to help the farmers in a bid to restore from this disaster. People are working to pump out additional water in an attempt to save the crops which are affected by the floods.
The heavy rains have not only flooded crops but have also inundated wide area in Bharatpur city and the adjacent villages due to water logging. Local authorities are operating throughout day and night in a bid to demobilize the water that has accumulated in low lying areas and unblock the drainage systems. It has also led to worry on the stability of some structures especially buildings that are many years old in the region as a result of the constant rainfall hence leading to cal laptop safety checks.
Experts in weather observations have attributed such flows of rain to a low pressure system that has now formed in the area. They said that there we may be rain a few more days but not as heavily as we have been experiencing now. This forecast has made everyone in the administration and residents to be on the look out to prevent any further damage from occurring.
On its part the agricultural department has urged farmers to stay abreast and take precautions in order to prevent other crops from being ravaged. They have suggested fungicides to control diseases on plants affected by water and how drainage in the fields can be enhanced.
That is why local non-governmental and community-based organizations stepped in to help the endangered farmers during the crisis. They are helping in arranging relief camps and supplying basic needful things to those who have been affected most due to crop loss. There are also some voices to declare the Bharatpur state affected by disaster to avail more support and compensation among farmers.
The consequences of this agricultural crisis will be felt throughout the local economy. Due to lowering crop yields, fears of stretched food supply and rising prices are expected in the coming months. Domestic trade has recorded an early increase in price of some of the vegetables and grains thus leading to increased cost burden to the households.
The activists analysing the environment have noted that such weather incidences have become many owing to climate change. They are already exploiting it to use the case to call for a more healthy approach to handling agriculture, especially in regard to water usage.
This comes as a reality shock to Bharatpur, a region that has been struggling with the impacts of this erratic precipitation, the downside of climate unpredictability is therefore beginning to dawn on agricultural producers. There are current deliberations over the time horizons required to adapt farming in this region for resistance to such weather adversity.
The state government has said that it is keeping a check on the situation and shortly a detailed relief package shall be announced by them, to help the affected farmers. On the other hand, the department of agriculture is planning to avail seeds and other inputs which will be useful once the flood water has withdrawn its self for farmers to refill their fields.
This push is assembled while the people of Bharatpur, as a community, feel solidarity facing this challenge; the people seem to be hopeful, eager to fight for their homes. Long-term recovery from the shocks is indeed going to be a challenge, but there are indications that with adequate assistance and creativity, the agricultural sector in Bharatpur has the potential to come back even stronger.
