Recent hailstorm and rain damage on wheat, mustard, potato, and tomato crop reached a total of 2,534 acres in Ladwa block of Kurukshetra district, said officials of agriculture and revenue departments on Thursday. Kurukshetra deputy director of agriculture (DDA) Pardeep Meel said, "On Thursday, more farmers applied for compensation of wheat crop loss under the crop insurance scheme (Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana). Up to Thursday, total of 454 applications were received for the claim of wheat loss in 2,040 acres of area in Ladwa block of the district. Besides wheat mustard, potato, and tomato crops have also been damaged, but the insurance for the same is not available in the area at this moment." The worst affected villages of Ladwa block where the wheat got damaged due to hailstorm and rain include Niwarsi, Sultanpur, Gudha, Sonti, Halalpur, Dugari, Lohara, Jogi Majra, Dabkhera, Gudhi, Bir-Sonti, Bhallari, Ghrolla, Bakali, and nearly 10 others, informed agriculture officials. Ladwa farmers had started applying for the wheat loss compensation since Tuesday. On the other side, potato, tomato, and mustard growers in 13 villages of Ladwa block have also been affected by nature's fury, but their crops are not covered under the government insurance scheme. "The government will conduct a separate girdawari for crop damages other than wheat, and it will be taken care of by the revenue department," said DDA Meel. As per data obtained from the revenue department, up to Thursday, a total of 494 acres of the area under potato, tomato, and mustard have been damaged by hailstorm and rain in 13 villages of Ladwa block. The 13 villages include Gadli, Niwarsi, Dabkhera, Lalpur, Prahladpur, Jalaludin Majra, Gudha, Sultanpur, Bahlolpur, Bhallar, Dhanaura Jatan, Dhiangla, and Bhalri of Ladwa block. So far, the recorded damage up to Thursday include 187 acres of mustard, 265 acres of potato, and 42 acres of tomato in the above-mentioned 13 villages of Ladwa, said revenue officials. Kurukshetra district revenue officer (DRO) Chandi Ram said, "A survey will be conducted and compensation will be given as fixed by the government to farmers for mustard, potato, and tomato losses. Up to Thursday, a total of 494 acres of these crops have been damaged in 13 villages of Ladwa." The farmers who have suffered losses of mustard and vegetable crops should be compensated at Rs50,000 per acre by the government," said Gurnam Singh Charuni, president of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Haryana). Source - https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com