The monsoon has unleashed a trail of destruction with several house collapses, road accidents, and an alarming around 1,000 cases of trees falling across different parts of Goa. Amidst this chaos, the agriculture sector has been hit hard, with crop damage expected to be reaching record levels.

Impact Of Rains On Crops

The extent of crop destruction remains uncertain as the Agriculture Department awaits the floodwaters to recede to begin their assessments. Unlike the last financial year, which saw only two instances of crop damage due to floods in Bicholim and Dharbandora, this year’s situation is evidently different.

“For the last so many days, rains have been continuous and this has stalled our field survey. Our teams are ready though. No sooner the water in the fields recedes, the survey will begin. By and large, we can say that the crop damage due to flooding will be more because last year had almost no cases,” Agriculture Director Sadip Faldesai said, speaking to The Goan.

The methodology for assessing the damage will primarily be through visual estimation, which comes with its own set of challenges, hence the delay in conducting a thorough survey. “Whether the area was cultivated and how much of it was cultivated will have to be surveyed and this is possible only after the water recedes… While we may see a huge tract of field, some parts might remain fallow and others are cultivated, hence waiting for the rain to reduce and water in fields to recede, is the best. Accordingly, the total crop damage and the loss estimated will be clear,” Faldesai elaborated.

Cases Of Crop Damage Reported In The Last Financial Year

In the last financial year, the State reported around 135 cases of crop damage including isolated incidents in the two talukas and 16 cases due to the ingress of saline water in Mapusa. Over 4,000 cases have been reported since the 2019-20 financial year due to Cyclone Tauktae and floods. This includes 16 cases of saline water ingress, 12 instances of inundation, and a couple of cases where crops were affected by salty water.

The director stated that compensation for crop damage stands at Rs 40,000 per hectare of paddy field crop.

However, despite the significant number of cases reported, the compensation process has been slow with funds for the 2023-24 financial year fully utilized, leaving several claims pending.

“Some cases are already cleared while around 57 are pending due to want of funds. These are the additional cases that were received during the fag end of the FY. The cases are duly scrutinized for settlement during 2024-25. The funds are now received and these claims will be settled shortly,” an official clarified.

In addition to crop damage, the monsoon fury has caused substantial infrastructural damage with many families losing their homes and properties. 

Source - https://www.freepressjournal.in