13 days and counting: Farmers in Punjab's Fazilka battle waterlogged fields, allege government apathy

Indian Express

2 days ago

Farmers in nearly 15 villages of Punjab's Fazilka district are seething with frustration over what they call the Government's apathetic attitude, as over 4,000 acres of farmland have remained submerged since it rained heavily on July 31 and August 1. Though there has been no heavy rain since August 1, intermittent drizzles have slowed recovery.
The deputy commissioner has asked village panchayats to use funds received under the 15th Finance Commission to drain the water, but panchayats have expressed their inability to do so, citing a lack of resources.
'Fed up with the laid-back attitude of the Punjab Government, we have staged a dharna in Abohar to make ourselves heard,' said Sudhir Bhadhu, a farmer from Waryam Khera village whose 40 acres have been underwater since August 1.
With a choked throat, he added, 'Nearly 400 acres of our village are still under water. Out of this, nearly 40 acres are mine. I had kinnow orchards, cotton, and paddy on this land, and everything is under water… What should we do? This year's income is gone, and government officials and politicians are sitting pretty in their offices.'
Varinder Kamboj, a farmer from Diwankhera village, said, 'Fodder for our animals has also been destroyed, not to speak of the fruit orchards of our joint family. We grow kinnow, guava, pear, and other fruits on 50 acres… This is the collective land of our big joint family. We are making our own efforts to get the water drained out. The administration is making no efforts. We have never seen such a laid-back approach from the administration.'
Sunil Kamboj, sarpanch of the village, said, 'Nearly 400 acres of our village are under water, and there is hardly any place to get the water drained out to. The administration has asked village panchayats to spend funds received under the 15th Finance Commission. We did some purchases… let's see if the bills are cleared or not.'
In Haripura village, farmer Sukhjeet Kumar is facing double trouble as his seven acres are underwater and his house has been partially damaged. 'My house is built within the fields. We now live in one-room accommodation only. Five of us live in this house—I, my wife, my old parents, and my younger brother's wife. My son studies in Delhi, and my younger brother does transport business in Delhi. They keep frequenting the village. Cracks have developed in the rest of the rooms as our kinnow orchards are under water around this house… We have literally no place to live. I had requested the tehsildar to arrange at least a tent but got no response. Our village has a BJP-dominated panchayat. Perhaps this is the reason for ignoring us… Around 90 acres of this village are underwater.'
Sukhmander Sukh, the Fazilka district president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal), said, 'The problem is related to just 15 villages, with an area of 4,000-5,000 acres. We are surprised to see that even this is not being managed well. This small problem has now become a big issue, all thanks to the administration and leaders of the ruling party. Ultimately, we will blame only the Punjab Government and its poor governance. Already its graph is down, and it is now going further downwards.'
The affected villages include Sabuana, Sajrana, Abhunn, Diwankhera, Dhingawali, Waryam Khera, Haripura, Dalmirkhera, Billapati, Saidanwali, Giddranwali, and Khui Khera Rakanpura, with no fewer than 300-400 acres in each village remaining underwater.
The area suffers from a subsurface waterlogging issue, preventing seepage into the ground.
'As it is drizzling on a few days and it is cloudy on a few other days, even evaporation is not happening,' said Varinder Kamboj, the farmer from Diwankhera.
'It seems we are entirely dependent on nature,' added Sukhmander Sukh, the farmer leader.
When contacted, Abohar MLA Sandeep Jakhar, who has been suspended from the Congress, blamed the district administration. 'A laid-back approach of the district administration is responsible for this condition… a proper coordination between PSPCL (Punjab State Power Corporation Limited), the agriculture and irrigation departments, and the district administration is a must for quickly removing water from the fields,' he said.