PONDA: Farmers in Ponda who were anticipating a bountiful harvest are worried lot today as the unseasonal rains have damaged their paddy crop when it was almost ready for harvesting.
Agapur farmers said that while some fields here have been harvested but many others claimed that their crops were flattened by the rain and their fields inundated.
The gusty winds and sudden showers that lashed parts of the state over the past few days has caused much loss to the farmers who were working hard to reap the fruits of their labour.
Distressed farmers here are now demanding that the government compensate them for the losses.
Premanand Gaude Secretary of Bar Amre Khajan Tenant Association said the Khazan paddy crop at Marcaim is nearly ready for harvesting. “We are worried about heavy unseasonal rain since the last week.”
Besides the rain, he said the Marcaim farmers face problem of breach in bandharas due to which river water enters the fields. Gaude said recently the government had started repair work on bandharas and that the sluice gates are also in bad shape. Stray cattle is another problem for farmers due to lack of proper fencing they need government help since three km long vast agriculture land needs fencing. He stressed the need for a single window system for immediate repairs of bandharas.
