Heavy rain and hailstorm damaged crops in 18 districts of central and western Madhya Pradesh this week. Unseasonal rain, accompanied by strong winds, hit the state on Monday and is predicted over the next few days too.

Farmers lost around 10-40 per cent of the standing and newly harvested winter crops, said government sources.

The state government has directed the district administration to assess the extent of damages to provide relief to the affected farmers.

"Our 12 months' efforts have gone down the drain. I don't know what to do now. All that we spent on seeds, urea, tractor diesel, our labour - everything is wasted," said Nirakh Singh, a farmer who lives in Neelbad near Bhopal.

Half of his wheat crop on eight acres of land was damaged due to the rain.

Jagannath Singh Thakur, another farmer, couldn't control his tears as he saw crops destroyed on vast swathes of his land in Vidisha district.

Vidisha and Rajgarh are the two central districts worst hit by the unseasonal rain that destroyed Rabi crops like wheat, gram, and pulses. The extent of the damage could be as high as 40 per cent in these two districts, said officials.

In Mandsaur and Neemuch in western Madhya Pradesh, the extent of damage was around 20-30 per cent. In Bhopal, Ujjain, Ratlam and Raisen, the damage could range between 15 and 20 per cent while it could be around 10-15 per cent in Shajapur, Sehore, Narmadapuram, Agar-Malwa, Barwani and Guna.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has assured compensation to the affected farmers.

"Our teams are on the field. A survey is on. The farmer need not worry. My government is with you. Based on the survey, the farmers will be given compensation for their crop loss," he said.

But worries remain since the weather department has forecast heavy rain over the next few days in the region. The farmers are worried since moisture worsens the quality of wheat, which fetches them lower prices.

Source - https://www.ndtv.com