Summary:
Crop could to be damaged due to accumulated water and we may have to replant the paddy saplings," said farmer Niranjan Singh from Cheema. Strengthening and raising of the National Highway-71, which passes through Cheema and Jodhpur, is also posing problems in draining out the water from the fields, which are lower as compared to the road. He said where machinery could not be sent, manual labour, through Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), was to be pressed into service to drain out the fields and save crop and houses. "Water could not be pumped out even after three days of rains. Paddy crop in these villages transplanted a fortnight ago is under water.On Monday, Barnala deputy commissioner Ghanshyam Thori visited the affected villages and asked the district officials to keep a 24-hour vigil and make efforts to pump out water from the fields..