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.
As per the norms
“The farmers who have suffered 33% and above losses will be paid compensation,” Mr. Faldu said. “We will pay the compensation as per the norms laid down under the disaster relief fund.”
The State has received more than 125% of the rainfall in the monsoon season. More than 100 dams and reservoirs of of the state have overflown due to swelling of river and other water bodies.
