Unexpected heavy rain lashed parts of Surat on Friday, bringing agricultural activities to a halt and damaging crops in several villages. The downpour, which began early in the morning, affected Bardoli and nearby areas including Baben, Afwa, and Isroli, reports The Week.
Local media reports said that damage has been reported to sugarcane and paddy crops, which are currently in the harvesting stage. Many fields have been flooded, forcing farmers to suspend their work. The waterlogging has also raised concerns about damage to harvested crops that were left out to dry.
At first, residents welcomed the rain as a welcome break from the intense heat of the past week. But the mood soon turned grim when farmers realised that the rainfall could destroy their ready-to-harvest crops. Sugarcane and paddy, which had been cut and set aside for drying, now risk rotting or losing quality due to the moisture, as per the news report by The Week.
Farmers in the affected villages have called on the state government to conduct a survey of the damage and offer compensation. Without financial help, they said, it would be difficult to recover losses and prepare for the next season. Reports suggest that the financial impact could run into several lakh rupees for many farmers.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), rain is likely to continue in Gujarat until November 3. A yellow alert for heavy rain has been issued in four districts of the Saurashtra region. Cloudy weather was reported across upper Gujarat, and alerts have also been issued for Junagadh, Amreli, Gir Somnath, Bhavnagar, Bharuch, Tapi, and Navsari districts.
Officials said that the unseasonal rain has badly affected the main crops of Surat district. Sugarcane harvesting has completely stopped, and paddy growers are struggling to save their crops from further damage. With more rain forecast over the weekend, farmers fear greater losses in the coming days.
