SAMBA: Director of Agriculture, Jammu, Dr S.S Jamwal along with team of officers visited the flood affected areas of Samba District where large cultivated area has been affected due to change of course of the Basanter and Devika rivers owing to breakage of protection bunds and its embankments. More than 1,500 hactares of paddy and other Kharif crop land have been estimated to be completely eroded and destroyed. The land has converted into riverbed and silt, sand and stones have spread and deposited on a large cultivated area.
The director visited the farmers fields located at villages Nanga, Majra, Jagatpur, Nathwal, Chak Pathyal, Barota, Logwal, Chajwal, Kamore, Rangoor, Chak Paras, Rangoor Camp and other adjoining villages mostly paddy Basmati growing area which has been completely washed away. There is also damage to some other areas due to silting and lodging of the crops. The nurseries of the vegetables particularly of hybrids and cauliflower sown by the farmers have been completely destroyed due to heavy and continuous rains. Many pumpsets, pumpset sheds, cattle sheds have been damaged and washed away due to flooding waters. It was observed that the irrigation channels and Khuls have been damaged at several locations.
Natha Ram, Sarpanch Rangoor Panchayat told the visiting team that there has been tremendous loss to the farmers of the area and are in need of immediate relief.
Kulbushan Sambyal, Chief Agriculture Officer, Samba, R. K. Kapoor, District Agriculture Officer (Extension), Samba, Subash Chander Sharma, SDAO, Samba, Kuldeep Peshin, AEO, Ramgarh, Jog Raj, AEO, Vijaypur, Sandeep Dogra, AEO, HQ and other officers of the district accompanied the Director Agriculture for assessment of damage.
