West Bengal farmers are suffering losses due to Cyclone Yaas and heavy rains

Cyclone Yaas and heavy rainfall due to deep depression have been a double whammy for the farmers in West Bengal. The farmers have incurred heavy losses due to rains and waterlogging in several districts of West Bengal.

Hooghly (West Bengal): First Cyclone Yaas and then heavy rainfall due to deep depression have been a double whammy for the farmers in West Bengal. Even Hooghly district is not the exception. Almost 33 per cent of the crops were destroyed following the devastating cyclone. A total of 18 blocks in the district are dependent on agriculture, especially Singur, Polaba, Haripal, Pursura and Chanditala. The crops cultivated in these areas are sent to other districts like Kolkata, Burdwan and Birbhum.

Hooghly has a total of 10,000 hectares of land. The double whammy has become a major concern for the farmers due to waterlogging. The situation will worsen further if the heavy rains continue. The vegetable cultivation will be worse. The district administration has already admitted the inevitable loss. According to the estimates of the state agriculture department, almost 7,000 hectares of cultivable land have been affected because of Cyclone Yaas and deep depression rainfall.

According to Noren Mondal, a farmer from Polaba said, "the waterlogging at the roots of the trees and plants is continuing, as a result of which the crops are being affected. If the rainfall continues like this then we will not have a single crop from our farmland. Naturally, the price will be affected. We are trying to keep our products intact to maintain the supply. As it is, we are not getting the right price for our products. In addition to that, almost 50% of our crops have been destroyed."

According to Syamapodo Hajra, another farmer, the rainfall has resulted in the growth of grass in farmland. "So it has become extremely difficult for us to continue farming. Because of the excessive rainfall, there is no water outlet. The roots are getting spoilt," he said. According to Amit Manna, a farmer from Sugandha Village Panchayat, the flyover running through the Khalisani- Bilkuli area is posing additional problems for the farmers. "Poly-house or greenhouse techniques are too costly for us for the cultivation of vegetables," he said.

According to Moutisi Mitra, a district administration officer, undoubtedly the farmers have lost a lot because of Cyclone Yaas. "Over 33 per cent of the crops had been destroyed, which is quite a huge loss," she admitted. Similarly, heavy rains have affected crops in the Kanksa area in Durgapur in the West Burdwan district as well. Vegetable production has especially been affected.