93.81 lakh hectare of Rabi crops area affected due to unseasonal rains as on 16 April

As per inputs received from States and based on preliminary assessment, 93.81 lakh hectare area under crops was affected due to hailstorm, unseasonal rains as on 16 April 2015. However, it is too early to arrive at the exact assessment of damage to production to rabi crops due to rains/hailstorms etc. As regards suicide by farmers due to agrarian distress, information is furnished by State Governments. As per report received from some of the states, namely, Punjab, Karnataka, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, there have been no incidents of farmers suicides due to agrarian distress caused by unseasonal rains and hailstorm. Government of Maharashtra has however reported three case of farmers suicide due to untimely rains and hailstorms during the period January to March 2015.

Department of Agriculture and Cooperation is concerned with coordination of relief measures necessitated by drought, hailstorm, pest attack, cold wave/frost. In the event of any or more of the listed natural calamities taking place in the State(s), fund is readily available with the State Governments under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). Additional financial assistance, over and above SDRF is considered from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for natural calamities of severe nature and is approved on basis of Memorandum of State Government in accordance with established procedure keeping in view items and norms in vogue for assistance.

 

So far memoranda have been received from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana seeking financial assistance Rs 744.48 crore, Rs 8252 crore and Rs 1135.91 crore, respectively in the wake of hailstorm from NDRF.

Inter Ministerial Central Teams (IMCTs) have been constituted to visit the affected States to assess the damage to crops and recommend financial assistance in accordance with extant norms and procedure. IMCTs have already visited the States of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan and assessed the ground situation.

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