Floods destroys crops in Kailali

Kailali: Due to two consecutive floods, agriculture has been damaged in four municipalities here. Floods in Tikapur, Bhajani Municipality, Janaki and Joshipur Rural Municipality of Kailali have damaged paddy crops, vegetable cultivation and livestock farmers.

The floods have damaged the rice crop the most. The flood has caused a loss of 20 percent of the paddy crop in Tikapur. Moti singh BK, Head of the Agriculture Branch informed that the flood that occurred on October 1st and then on the 23rd after continuous rains damaged the ripe paddy crop and the blooming paddy crop in Tikapur.

He said that the data of the damage caused by flood to agriculture is being collected. He said, "Work is being done by going from ward to ward with the help of the ward office. In Ward No. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, there has been more damage to paddy crops. Some farmers' crops are stuck in the fields."

20 percent more crops have been damaged across the municipality. He said that there was loss of paddy crops due to water stagnation in flooded areas. Sudha Chaudhary, a farmer of Tikapur-5, has lost all his paddy crops planted on 10 kathas of land. Chaudhary said, "The paddy was ripe and ready to be harvested, the field was flooded with water for a week, when the water dried up, not a single paddy plant was standing upright, all the paddy had been fertilized. Due to the wind blowing along with the rain, the paddy crop fell, then the field was flooded for a week and the crop did not survive."

Rahul Saud of Tikapur-8 has also lost his paddy crop. After entering the Bhangalo settlement of Karnali river, his paddy field is filled with sand. He said, "Last year the harvested paddy was washed away by the flood, this year it was all gone in the field. What will we eat now? We will not be able to see the crops of the fields for two years. Why does it seem to be cultivated?"