Over 2 lakh hectare farmland damaged this year due to hydro-meteorological calamities: Tomar

A little over 2 lakh hectare of the cropped area has been damaged so far this year due to hydro-meteorological calamities, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar informed Parliament on Tuesday. Tomar in a written reply to the Lok Sabha said in the year 2020-21, 66.55 lakh hectare cropped area was damaged.

However, till July 27 this year, 2.024 lakh hectare area has been damaged due to hydro-meteorological calamities/ hazards, he said. The maximum damage was reported from Gujarat, followed by Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, and Goa in the said period.

The minister said states undertake relief measures in the wake of natural disasters from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) already placed at their disposal. Additional assistance is extended from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) as per the established procedure, upon receipt of a memorandum from the state.

Thereafter, an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) is constituted and deputed for an on-the-spot assessment of damage and requirement of funds for relief operations, as per the extant items and norms. The report of the IMCT is considered by the Sub-Committee of the National Executive Committee (SC-NEC). Thereafter, the High-Level Committee (HLC) approves the final quantum of financial assistance, the minister added.