Haryana Cong demands immediate survey of loss of crops due to flooding

Chandigarh, Jul 14 (PTI) The Haryana unit of Congress on Friday sought an immediate survey to assess the loss of crops and property caused by the flooding of many parts of the state due to recent rains so that compensation can be provided to the affected.

The party has demanded that the government give a compensation at the rate of Rs 40,000 per acre for crop damage.

In a memorandum submitted to Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya here, a Congress delegation led by Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda and state Congress chief Udai Bhan told him that due to the recent heavy rains, large areas of the districts including Panchkula, Ambala, Yamunanagar Kurukshetra, Karnal, Panipat and Sonipat have been inundated by the flooding.

Through the memorandum, they alleged that this has exposed the mismanagement and inefficiency of the state government, as proper steps were not taken in time.

“The warnings of the Meteorological Department were ignored and the people of this region are becoming victims of the unforgivable negligence of the government and apathy of the administration,” the memorandum read.

The party demanded rehabilitation of those who have been displaced or their houses damaged.

Proper compensation should be given after surveying the loss suffered by traders, distribution of food items to the needy people and fodder for their cattle should be ensured, immediate and long term measures should be taken to prevent recurrence of such disaster in future, the memorandum stated.

“We assure you that our party will extend all help and cooperation to the government in its efforts to alleviate the suffering of the people of the state,” it read.

In the memorandum, the Congress also said that even after several days have passed, the administrative officers have not reached every affected village.

“After visiting the most affected areas and talking to the affected residents of these areas, we came to the conclusion that this calamity is natural forces as well as man-made,” said the party in the memorandum.

“The apathetic attitude of the administration has added to people’s suffering. No help of any kind has been given to the victims so far. The victims said that if the Dadupur Nalvi canal (started by previous Cong govt) was not closed, the embankments were repaired in time, the drainage system was cleaned in time, illegal mining and illegal constructions were not done, and the drainage channels were not closed, then they would not have faced so much difficulty and so much damage would not have been caused,” it said.

The memorandum said that lakhs of acres of crops have been completely destroyed in the water, several roads and highways have damaged, causing immense hardship to the people.

Roads and houses are flooded in villages and cities and people have shifted their belongings to roofs, or highways/bridges, animals/cattle are not getting fodder, it said.

According to government figures, 16 deaths have been reported in rain-related incidents while as many as 854 villages have been affected.