Hailstorm Damages Crops in Haryana, Leaves Farmers in Distress

Mandeep Kumar, a farmer from Khranti village in Rohtak, shared that he and his fellow farmers were preparing to harvest their wheat when the hailstorm hit, damaging their entire crop. 

He explained that the strong winds, hail, and rain had caused a loss of more than 95%, leaving them in a difficult situation as they had taken loans from banks and moneylenders to invest in their crops. He expressed concerns about how they would survive with such significant crop damage.

Rakesh Yadav, a farmer from Kanina in Mahendergarh, echoed these sentiments, stating that the hailstorm had lasted for over 30 minutes, causing widespread damage to all standing crops. He shared that they would be meeting with the Deputy Commissioner the following day to request financial assistance for their crops.

Daya Kaur, a farmer from Nindana village, urged the government to conduct a survey to assess the crop loss and provide financial aid to the farmers as soon as possible.

She expressed that their entire earning had been taken away by the hailstorm, leaving them with no resources to pay for their children's education, medical expenses, and other expenses they had committed to.

A group of farmers from Ladvi, Siswal, Milapur, and Jakhod Khera villages in Hisar also protested outside deputy commissioner Uttam Singh’s office, carrying bags filled with hail.

Mange Ram Nambardar, who was part of the group, shared that the inclement weather had caused severe damage to wheat and fully ripened mustard crops in their village and neighboring areas. He demanded that the government should open a portal to register crop loss and provide compensation of ₹50,000 per acre to the affected farmers.

In response, the Hisar deputy commissioner Uttam Singh announced that the government had reopened the online portal, and farmers could register their crops and lodge their complaints about damages.

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar also assured the farmers that compensation would be provided to the affected farmers' accounts by May, providing some relief to the farmers in this difficult situation.