Floods wipe out crops in Jammu, losses pegged at Rs 365 crore

As the flood waters recede, a grim picture emerges from the agriculture sector in Jammu where the deluge has washed away crops worth Rs 365 crore and 13,000 hectares of cultivable land.

While the Maize crop suffered Rs 248 crore damage, rice/paddy crops suffered a loss of Rs 48 crore followed by Rs 40 crore loss to vegetable crops besides damage to pulses and saffron.

"Loss of 365 crore has been caused to crops in Jammu region in the flash floods", Director, Agriculture, Jammu, S S Jamwal told PTI. He said an elaborate report has been submitted to the government on the basis of the preliminary assessment done across the region.

Jamwal, who himself led teams of the Department of Agriculture to assess the losses caused to crops and farm lands, said 13,000 hectares of agriculture land has been washed away in the floods.

Tawi, Basantar and Devak rivers have changed courses at places resulting in major damage to huge chunks of agriculture land in Niki Tawi and Ramgarh belts of Jammu and Samba districts.

"It is the biggest challenge for the government to ensure protections to farm lands and later reclaiming these lands for use in agriculture activities", Jamwal said.

Taking stock of the situation, the Department of Agriculture has pressed into service its monitoring teams to make an on-the-spot assessment of damages caused to vegetables, paddy, maize, pulses and fodder crops by the flash floods and heavy rains in different districts of Jammu division since September 14.

Jamwal has also held detailed interaction with farmers of Kukrian, Kothey Manhasan, Haripur, Chak Jaggar, Thub, Mahaveer Basti, Kothey Puran, Ghou Manhasan, Sandawan, Bhagatpur, Suhagani, Chakrali, Nai basti, Marh, Kana Chak, Kayanpur, Panjore and adjoining areas of Marh sub-division.