Dhasan riverside villages face kharif crop losses after heavy rainfall

On a rainy Wednesday, as heavy downpours swept across many districts in Madhya Pradesh, I made my way to a small village nestled by the Dhasan River in Chhatarpur district. Following a narrow lane that goes off road from Sagar-Tikamgarh highway is this village named Naya Khera in Guhwara sub-division.

“Who are you? Even the road hasn't made its way to this place yet,” shouted a farmer from afar, looking at our four-wheeler car struggling on a muddy pathway.

As I continued toward the village, I passed fields on either side, uprooted and devastated—moong, soybean, and sesame crops laid to waste by the recent heavy rainfall.

The meteorological department reports that a deep depression has formed over Odisha, intensifying over Chhattisgarh and nearby areas. This has resulted in heavy rainfall, which persisted for around 24 hours in many areas. 

When I was travelling across Guhwara in Chhatarpur, in the nearby district of Tikamgarh, two farmers were stranded on an island in the Dhasan River, unable to be rescued because of the river's swift currents. The district collector urgently requested help from the army to save them. Meanwhile, in a heartening development, two pregnant women were safely evacuated from the flood-affected regions of Nilagodri, Kiranpur (Balaghat), and Kandri Kala in Lanji, ensuring their safety during this difficult time.

On the other side of the Dhasan River, where I was, the farmers were experiencing difficulties in protecting their crops amidst the heavy rains.

Jashraj Kumar, a 70-year-old farmer, owns a 5-acre plot of land where he has sown moong, soybeans, and sesame for this Kharif season. 

With complete hopelessness, he informed me,

“I lost a lakh over a night.”

Jashraj shared how the farmers of his village were unable to go up to their fields with water filled over across the route. He then took me to his fields across the Dhasan River with the majority of the crops lying dead.

“Madam, I cried yesterday looking at this dead crop field. It is a huge loss. I think I can only extract some money from the remaining sesame field,” he told me.

No crop insurance under PMFBY

While Jashraj was showing me the crop damages, around 10 more farmers gathered with their plights to share about their losses. But although these farmers had heard about the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), none of them had a Kisan Credit Card (KCC) or had availed the scheme. 

“We do not have KCC. It deducts money as premium from bank accounts, I have heard. Farmers here are a little skeptical about the benefits of the scheme,” informed Nandlal, another farmer from the village.

The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is a government-backed crop insurance program designed to protect farmers from crop losses caused by natural disasters. Started in 2016, the scheme has faced its share of criticism over the years.

Seven states, including key agricultural regions like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Punjab, Telangana, and West Bengal, have opted out of the PMFBY scheme. Their decision is attributed to either financial constraints or low claim ratios during the normal season. In Madhya Pradesh as well, Ground Report has earlier reported about the low compensation to the farmers under the scheme.

In 2021, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare answered in Rajya Sabha:

“The major reason for delay in settlement of claims is delayed payment of their share in premium subsidy by the States.”

Although the government’s promise to double the farmer’s income looks far-fetched, the private insurance companies have gained a lucrative profit. According to data from the Agriculture Department presented in Parliament, between 2016-17 and 2020-21, 10 out of 13 private insurance companies enrolled under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) earned a total of Rs 24,350 crore. In contrast, two government-owned firms, out of five, incurred losses amounting to Rs 3,344 crore during the same period.

As of June 30, 2019, a total of 102 court cases have been filed by farmers and farmer associations against insurance companies, state governments, and the central government. These cases cover a range of issues, including claims settlement disputes.

Overall, the situation looks unsatisfactory for the farmers as they look for proper compensation for their crop losses. 

An alternative job is the only option

As the farmers in the village assessed their damaged crops, they were also contemplating the alternative work they would need to find to make ends meet. Dhani Ram, whose name means "wealthy man," is ironically struggling with debt and is now forced to seek work to cover the rent for the two acres of land he has leased for cultivation over the past year.

“I have to pay the lease of Rs. 20,000 for six months. My moong fields are severely damaged. You see! It looks like somebody has butchered the entire area,” Dhani Ram said.

He believes unpredictable weather impacts the farmers, and they are compelled to look for alternate work. 

“Now I might have to travel to a city looking for work as a labourer to earn a living for my family. My sons have already left farming and work at construction sites in different cities,” he added.

Altogether, the farmers are worried with a hope to receive compensation for their crop losses and earn enough to survive through the year. 

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