AIKS Demands Union Government to Disburse Comprehensive Relief Package to Affected States

Lakhs of Acres of Crops Nearing Harvest Destroyed in Punjab and Haryana Floods
AIKS Demands Union Government to Disburse Comprehensive Relief Package to Affected States
Opens Call for Mass Contribution to Help Farmers and Workers

Vijoo Krishnan, General Secretary
Ashok Dhawale, President

New Delhi – The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) notes the grim flood situation in the agrarian states of Punjab and Haryana due excessive rainfall in the month of August. Due to heavy downpour in the upper catchment areas of Himachal Pradesh (HP) and Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), along with surplus water released from several dams, the Beas and Sutlej rivers are overwhelmed and the resulting deluge has caused extensive damages to the standing crops in the two agrarian states. More than 320 people have been killed across the four states and there is a widespread loss of livestock as well.

Punjab has been the worst-hit, with floods declared in all 23 districts of the state. According to various reports, about 3 lakh acres of standing crops in Punjab’s 1,400 villages are either partially or entirely submerged and more than 3.5 lakh people are directly affected.

In Haryana, farmers from 1,402 villages in 12 districts have lost their crops to the extent of almost 2.5 lakh acres. Hill-states like HP and J&K where the floods originated are also bleeding. Apple orchards in Shimla and Kullu suffered ruin, with officials estimating almost 25,000 acres of horticultural land suffering damages, setting back farmer incomes by at least two seasons. In J&K too, thousands of acres of paddy have been washed away in the torrential rain and floods.

The Union government has constituted Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCTs) to assess the damage caused by heavy rainfall, floods, and landslides in the four states. At this juncture, it is crucial that a comprehensive relief package for these states is released by the government. Anything short of a large monetary aid will accentuate the extreme economic distress being faced by farmers and workers of the affected areas.

The AIKS stands in complete solidarity with the embattled people of the four states as they rebuild their life and livelihoods. We invite all sections to contribute to the AIKS relief fund. The money collected will be used for purchasing and distributing essential relief material to the farmers and workers of the affected areas. Right now is the time to come forth in a big way to help the toiling people of the country as they battle nature’s fury.