Hooghly, 09 April (H.S.): Unseasonal heavy rainfall across large parts of Goghat in Hooghly district has worsened the situation for farmers, pushing many into a deep financial crisis. Repeated natural calamities coupled with poor market prices for crops have left cultivators struggling to sustain their livelihoods. Notably, rainfall that began on Wednesday evening continued till Thursday morning, aggravating the damage.

According to local farmers, they had already incurred significant losses in potato cultivation, as market prices failed to even cover production costs. Many farmers were forced into debt. In an attempt to recover, several shifted to alternative crops like sesame and seasonal vegetables this season.

However, continuous untimely rainfall has severely impacted these crops as well. Waterlogging in fields has led to rotting of plants, posing a serious threat to overall yield. In several villages, fields remain submerged under knee-deep water.

Farmers are trying to drain out water by cutting channels, but persistent rainfall has rendered these efforts largely ineffective. Sesame cultivators say excess water at this stage is extremely harmful for the crop and could drastically reduce output. Similarly, vegetables such as bottle gourd, ridge gourd, and brinjal are rapidly deteriorating, raising concerns over reduced market supply.

Amid the worsening situation, farmers have urged the administration to conduct immediate damage assessments and provide adequate compensation. They have also demanded easier access to insurance and stronger support systems to cope with recurring natural disasters.

Farmers say that with repeated weather shocks and lack of fair prices, continuing agriculture is becoming increasingly unsustainable.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey