Rain in India has always been welcomed by farmers as their fate relies on intensity of it. However, this time the farmers may not greet the rain as warmly as they always do.
Rain and hailstorm expected at the end of March and beginning of April is likely to further ruin rabi crops mainly wheat, mustard and gram and prolong recovery of ravged crops. A fresh western disturbance – the weather system responsible for snow and rain over North India – is likely to pan across the hilly state of Jammu Kashmir on 28th March and cover plains of North India by 29th March, extending till 6th April.
Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir are on the radar of rain and hail this time.
Rain has already claimed the lives of nearly two dozen farmers. It not only destroyed the crops but shattered dreams of farmers who were expecting a bumper harvest this season. Untimely rain accompanied by hailstorm resulted in suicides of farmers in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Punjab, leaving their family members looking intently for compensation.
In a case of double whammy, people in Mumbai and Delhi are also left helpless. They are not only witnessing soaring temperatures but shelling out more as unwelcome rain has made vegetables dearer. Here as well, it’s the farmers who are facing losses as they are not getting their due since retail vegetable vendors are eating up the share of rise in price.
Heavy rain expected in next couple of days is likely to add on to the misery of Indian farmers who have not yet recovered from the recent blow of nature’s wrath. More rain will only mean fateful days and nights in the field and darkness in farmers’ lives.
