NAGPUR, January 23: Members of the Institute for Disaster Reduction and Management (IDRM) and other NGOs demanded that an independent agency be set up by the government to assess the damage caused to crops in Vidarbha region by hails and unseasonal rains recently.It was felt by most of the NGOs attending the conference that government agencies are not fair in their assessment of the damage caused by inclement weather. As a result, farmers do not get enough compensation from the government. The NGOs felt that norms and criteria of assessment must be laid down for agencies. As it is in most of the present cases, the government agencies are not even aware of how to make a correct assessment.
Speaking on the occasion, Secretary and Director of IDRM Nilu Chaudhary said it was necessary to have a concrete plan for disaster reduction. Normally only natural disasters like flood or drought or wars are considered. Damage caused to agriculture must be brought in the same category.
Chaudhary regretted that
politicians and political workers are so engrossed in the ensuing general elections that no one has time to look at the plight of the farmers who have been hit by bad weather in recent times. He also said that although a number of promises were made by politicians to provide relief to farmers affected by rains this year, nothing had materialised.
Expressing concern at the number of farmers committing suicide due to the vagaries of bad weather which did not allow them to repay their loans, Chaudhary said a similar situation could be expected in Vidarbha soon if proper relief was not provided to farmers.
Dr R T Gahukar, convenor of the programme, said the last two months of bad weather had devastated the farmers in Vidarbha. However, the next two months would be even worse as the effects of the poor crop would begin to show results. A proper assessment of the damage to the crop is required. The government provides compensation only if the damage is more than 50 per cent. In most cases, the government
officials show the damage to be less than 50 per cent. The government must initiate economic reforms to rehabilitate farmers affected by the weather, he said.
According to K S Yavalkar, the farmers of Vidarbha suffered the worst damage to their crops in this century. Unfortunately, a correct assessment of the damage was not made at all. Affected by the losses, a farmer has already committed suicide in Saoner. More farmers could follow suit if corrective measures are not taken right now, he warned.
B S Phadnaik called for a short and long-term policy to help affected farmers. Vasantrao Jagtap, farmer from Gumthala, said the hailstorms and the rains in December had completely destroyed the soyabean and cotton crops. No one is talking about landless farmers whose condition is even worse.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
