'A Year of Failed Crops': Erratic Rain, Overflowing Lakes Hurt Haryana Farmers
Farmers in Haryana, accustomed to water shortage, are now struggling with excessive rainfall.
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“For the past one year, no crops have been harvested from this land, and it may take several months for the water to recede," Mustaq Ahmed, a farmer from Haryana's Nuh district, tells The Quint.
Even as winter arrives in Haryana, farmers in Nuh and the adjoining districts in the state are still suffering from the aftermath of an erratic monsoon.
Lakes in Nuh have overflowed into farms.
(Photo Courtesy: Baishnavi Sharma)
With their fields submerged, farmers in Haryana say they are unable to plant essential crops – and are urging the government for compensation.
What's Flooding the Farmlands
Several villages in Firozpur Jhirka and Nuh districts, near the Aravalli Mountain Range, face a unique challenge: monsoon rains have caused natural lakes to overflow, flooding their fields. This not only ruined the jowar and millet crops, but, if the water does not recede soon, could jeopardise the upcoming mustard and wheat harvests.
Rabi crops are sowed in the winter season (October-December) and harvested in the summer (April-June). Some of the important rabi crops like wheat, barley, peas, and gram depend on winter showers for success, ideally requiring 15-20 cm of rainfall during the sowing season.
“Rainwater is significantly hampering farming. First, the jowar and millet crops were lost. Now, it appears implausible to sow wheat and mustard,” Rishal Khan, a farmer from Nagina village, tells The Quint.
Amir Abadi, a farmer in Nuh, tells The Quint, “Till a few years ago, the lakes in our region would dry up before they could flood. We relied on them for irrigation, but the situation isn't the same anymore. The significant change in rainfall pattern has created chaos as the land's absorption capacity has gone down."
“If we plant rice, it is infested by pests. Cotton has also stopped growing. This time, it didn’t rain when it was supposed to, and then, unseasonal rain and hailstorms destroyed our wheat crops. Farmers are completely broken. No farmer wants to continue farming, but we have no other way to earn a livelihood,” Anita Sudkan, a farmer from Nuh, says.
Anita Sudkan, farmer, Nuh.
(Photo source: Baishnavi Sharma)
"We grow two crops a season, but one is often lost to unexpected weather disasters. We survive by working as daily-wage laborers,” adds Kuldeep Singh, a farmer from Nagina village.
Natural lakes in villages like Akeda, Kotla, Mevli, and Malab contribute to this flooding. The government developed Kotla Lake on approximately 108 acres, but it has failed to benefit farmers. The lake itself spans 9,000 to 10,000 acres, impacting many surrounding villages.
“Standing crops are destroyed due to the overflowing Kotla Lake. We have seen our fields get waterlogged for several days on end. It becomes tough for us to plant the next crop,” says Abdul Ali, a farmer from Nuh.
The Burden of Generational Debt
Heavy debt, passed down from one generation to the next, has compounded the hardships of Haryana’s farmers.
Chamkaur Singh’s family owed Rs 25,000 fifteen years ago, but the amount has now gone up to Rs 9 lakh. The interest alone exceeds Rs 75,000 annually.
A waterlogged field in Firozpur Jhirka.
(Photo source: Baishnavi Sharma)
"Everyone in Haryana is in debt,” he adds.
The Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme, introduced in 1998, was designed to provide farmers with easy, short-term loans based on their landholdings. Farmers can borrow up to Rs 1 lakh per acre, with loans up to Rs 3 lakh, charged at a 7 percent interest rate.
Subsidies are available for those who repay the principal within a year. While helpful, the scheme does not meet all farmers’ needs. Many rely on arhtiyas for funds during emergencies, such as weddings, medical treatments, or daily expenses, at steep annual interest rates of 18-24 percent.
“The relationship between an arhtiya and a farmer is like that of body and soul. The government wanted to eliminate arhtiyas with the three farm laws, but we don’t support that. We work closely with arhtiyas because we don’t get enough support from banks. Banks won’t give us loans without collateral, but arhtiyas lend us what we need for health emergencies, weddings, or home construction,” Anita Sudkan explains.
The Farm Acts of 2020, faced strong opposition from farmers and arhtiyas who feared these laws would threaten their livelihoods and the current support system. Nationwide protests continue, with farmers demanding the repeal of the laws, and a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops.
This plight is not unique to farmers in Haryana. According to a 2021 National Statistical Organisation (NSO) survey, over 50 percent of agricultural households in India are in debt, with the average outstanding loan per household at Rs 74,121.
Farmers Appeal for Compensation
Farmers in Nuh have urged the government to compensate them for their losses. “In this precarious situation, we may face an economic crisis in the future. It would be a relief if the government could provide some assistance,” adds Mohd Arif, another farmer from Nagina.
According to local reports, Nuh MLA Aftab Ahmed met with Deputy Commissioner Prashant Pawar in October 2024 to discuss the issue and raised farmers’ concerns with top officials in the district administration, but the matter remains unresolved.
The Central government has compensation packages for farmers. However, it comes with a caveat. Only farmers who have their land registered with the government can get the compensation.
Meanwhile, leasing of land for farming is still illegal in many states.
Nuh farmer Mehboob Khan is increasingly worried. He has sown wheat in his one-acre field, expecting a yield of up to four quintals. Just 20 days before harvest, unseasonal rain and hailstorms struck his village, damaging nearly three-fourths of his crop, resulting in significant financial loss for his family.
Experts at the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Nuh, who requested anonymity, stated that making the Minimum Support Price (MSP) a legal right for farmers and promoting sustainable farming practices are key to addressing these challenges. They emphasised that immediate relief and proactive measures are crucial to alleviating farmers' hardships and ensuring their economic stability.
Currently, MSP does not extend to fruits and vegetables. The Centre notifies MSPs for 23 crops every year. Still, procurement largely happens only in wheat and paddy since they are the primary food grains distributed under the Public Distribution System.
(The reporter is a master’s student at the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She has a keen interest in exploring the human stories behind climate change.)