Farmers in Bihar whose standing crops were damaged due to Cyclone Yaas will be compensated as a proposal of Rs. 99 cr has been prepared by the state agriculture department after conducting a crop damage survey. From May 26 to 30, the cyclone battered eastern Indian states, including Bihar.
Thousands of farmers lost their standing crops in 73,000 hectares of land distributed across 16 districts, according to the agricultural department's survey report. According to sources, the plan has been given to the disaster management department for review and will be presented to the cabinet for approval soon.
“Our field personnel conducted the survey to gauge crop losses in 16 cyclone-affected districts. A proposal for compensation in the amount of Rs. 99 crore has been made to the disaster management. It is in the works and would be approved soon." Agriculture Department Secretary N Saravana Kumar stated.
Each selected farmer would receive Rs 6,800 per hectare in compensation for crop damages on non-irrigated land, and Rs13,500 per hectare in compensation for crop damages on irrigated land, according to the compensation plan. To be eligible for compensation, the damages must be at least 33 percent of the standing crops, according to the rules. Because the list of beneficiaries is still being finalized, the total number of farmers who will benefit from the compensation package remains uncertain.
“As soon as the compensation package is approved, we will begin making payments to farmers,” a senior official stated. Officials claimed the cyclone wreaked havoc on standing garma crops, primarily pulses, as well as several paddy and maize kinds. Between the main Rabi and Kharif seasons, garma crops are sown in March and harvested in June. During the garma season, several medicinal plants are also planted.
Furthermore, the agriculture department has begun distributing fresh seeds to farmers whose paddy and other Kharif crop seedlings were damaged by floods in four districts, including the Tirhut region. “We are assessing damage to paddy and other crop seedlings in four flood-stricken areas and have begun providing fresh seeds to impacted farmers for alternative crops,” said the secretary of agriculture.
He further stated that the department has begun examining sugarcane crop damage in districts such as Muzaffarpur and East Champaran, where floods have hit some areas.
