Farmers living in about two dozen villages in and around the city also had to bear the brunt of the flood water, which damaged standing crop, vegetable and fodder worth more than Rs 2 crore.

Following a demand by farmers, the district collector and the Surat District Nagrik Sahakari Bank have initiated a dialogue to give loans to farmers at a low rate of interest to tide them over the difficult financial crunch that they face. The bank office-bearers have accepted the proposal in-principle.

District Collector R M Shah and bank officials are yet to work out modalities of the loan. According to sources, the farmers will be provided loan at 10.5 rate of interest. Farmers are, however, demanding loan at interest rate four per cent less than the market rate; the one at which traders and industrialists were provided.

Agricultural Produce Market Committee puts the loss to farmers between Rs two and two-and-a-half crore. According to a survey conducted by the Agriculture department, crop cultivated over 400 hectare of land was damaged. The damage to vegetables, fodder and other crop has been estimated at more than Rs 2 crore.

The department wrote to the Relief Commissioner seeking assistance of Rs 2 crore to help affected farmers get back on their feet. Out of that amount Rs 1 crore was sought for purchase of seeds, Rs 50 lakh for fodder and the rest to compensate for land erosion. The state government is yet to reply to the department.

Meanwhile, subsidiary companies of the General Insurance of Corporation have settled 3393 claims running into more than Rs 13 crore. The district collector, who held a meeting with representatives of insurance companies, asked them to expedite settlement of the remaining 4974 claims. The companies on their part stated that claimants were yet to submit survey report along with their applications.