The result of record monsoon rains that have devasted India’s breadbasket is that the fields are full but the paddy is brown and wilted, and the air is filled with the smell of rotting crops and livestock.
The damage to Punjab, which is frequently referred to as the country’s granary, is unprecedented because floods have wiped out farmland that is almost twice as large as those in London and New York City combined.
Floods and landslides are common in the subcontinent during the June–September monsoon season, but experts claim that climate change, combined with poorly planned development, is increasing their frequency, severity, and impact.
According to the national weather department, Punjab experienced a precipitation increase of almost two-thirds compared to the average rate for August, causing at least 52 fatalities and affecting more than 400,000.
A $ 180 million relief package for Punjab has been announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Between the Ravi River and Pakistan, the village of Toor is rife with destroyed homes, livestock carcasses, and collapsing crops.
Farm worker Surjan Lal claimed that the water arrived on August 26 at midnight. In a matter of minutes, it “climbed to at least 10 feet (three meters)”.
According to Lal, the Gurdaspur district of Punjab’s worst-affected Gurdaspur district had been marooned for almost a week.
He claimed that “we were all on rooftops.” The water swept everything away from our animals and beds, saying, “We could not do nothing.”
Rakesh Kumar, the last frontier-era Indian village, reported his losses in nearby Lassia.
The 37-year-old said, “I had taken some more on lease this year than the land I own.” “My entire investment has just gone wrong,” he said.
The future appeared bleak, according to Kumar, to make matters worse.
He expressed concern that his fields wouldn’t be ready to start planting wheat, Punjab’s preferred winter crop.
He said, “All the muck must dry first, and then the big machines can clear the silt.”
Even at best times, it’s difficult to transport heavy earthmovers into the area because the only time it can bridge is during the winter months.
The uncertainty is even greater for landless laborers, like Mandeep Kaur, 50.
We used to make a living working in the big landlords’ fields, but now they are all gone, Kaur said.
The water swept her home away, forcing her to sleep in the courtyard under a tarpaulin sheet, a practice known for snakes because they sway through the damp land.
More than 800 million people receive subsidies for grain from Punjab, which is the largest supplier of rice and wheat to India’s food security initiative.
Indian basmati has already lost competitiveness as a result of US tariff sanctions, and the squeeze is likely to get worse as a result.
Source: Aljazeera
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