With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) having issued a three-day orange alert for rainfall for almost the whole of north India on May 1, and heavy rains predicted in several parts of the country, there are chances of crop damage in several states which may add to the woes of the farmers.

The farmers last month suffered crop losses owing to unseasonal rains in various parts of the country.

"Due to Western disturbances, a three-day orange alert for rainfall has been issued for almost the whole of North India. Rainfall in Delhi too will continue for the next three days," the IMD said on May 1.

The Met department further said that though thunderstorm activities usually take place during March and April, they were extended this year.

The weather department has also issued a heavy alert for the entire north Indian region including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana.

Owing to these conditions, temperatures in Delhi-NCR, Punjab and Haryana are likely to remain 9 to 10 degrees below normal this week, the weather department said.

"Heavy rainfall is very likely in isolated regions of north-west India, central India, south India, east-India and northeast India. Hailstorm very likely in isolated regions of north-west India, central, eastern and western regions of India," IMD tweeted on Monday.

However, all these rains are likely to damage crops all across the country, as in April too, farmers had protested in some parts of Maharashtra after unseasonal rains had ruined their gram and onion produce.

Farmers in Telangana too faced heavy crop losses due to unseasonal rains last month.

Also, in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, farmers have lost their standing crops due to untimely rains.

In fact, in Uttar Pradesh, more than 35,000 hectares of crop area were damaged last month due to unseasonal rains.

Source - https://www.daijiworld.com