In the wake of the inclement weather affecting Rabi crop in the state, the Rajasthan government on Monday assured the Legislative Assembly a special ‘Girdawari’ (crop assessment) to assess the damage caused due to hailstorm, frost and cold wave. The state is going through a cold spell in the last three days.

According to initial reports, about 2 to 40 per cent of crop in 2.5 lakh hectares in the rainfed areas was perished, Agriculture Minister Lalchand Kataria said in a statement in the House.

Kataria assured the farmers affected by the adverse weather conditions that the state government was committed to provide adequate compensation.

The crop devastation mainly took place in Sriganganagar, Hanumangarh, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Jaipur, Jalore, Bikaner, Chittorgarh, Sikar, Bharatpur, Pali, Ajmer, Jodhpur and Pratapgarh districts. All the district collectors have been directed to conduct an immediate survey in this regard and send a report of special Girdawari to the Disaster Management Department. Patwari will go to the spot to assess the crop loss and give a report to the collector, according to Minister’s reply.

He said that in the year 2022-23 Rabi crop has been sown in 109.55 lakh hectare area. According to preliminary estimates, out of 29.6 lakh hectare sown area of wheat crop, about 42,000 hectare, out of 4.8 lakh hectare sown area of barley crop, 19,000 hectare, 20.57 lakh hectare of gram crop were sown. Out of the area of 2.5 lakh hectare, 2 to 40 percent has been damaged.

He informed that relief is being given to the affected farmers as per the norms of Disaster Relief Fund and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. The minister asked the public representatives to inform the department on receiving information about crop loss, so that the affected farmers could get help at all levels.

Source - https://www.thestatesman.com