Floods, landslides cause extensive damage in Madhes Province; losses exceed Rs 5bn

DHANUSHA: Recent floods, landslides, and inundation have inflicted significant losses in Madhes Province. Preliminary reports indicate that these calamitous events have damaged arable land, agricultural infrastructure, livestock, and fisheries, with losses estimated to exceed Rs 5 billion.

Farmers are particularly concerned about the submergence of paddy fields. Agriculture experts estimate that millions of rupees worth of crops have been destroyed due to the inundation. Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Ramnath Adhikari, has instructed officials to gather data on the agricultural damage and devise a new strategy in response to the monsoon-related disasters.

Mahananda Joshi, Information Officer at the Ministry, reported that preliminary information as of Tuesday indicates severe damage to the paddy crop. According to agriculture economist Joshi, paddy cultivation has been affected in the districts of Saptari, Siraha, Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Rautahat, Bara, and Parsa.

The Agriculture Development Directorate of Madhes Province has noted that the rains have caused a loss of Rs 5.33 billion to the agriculture sector. Preliminary data from eight districts show that paddy planted on 42,069 hectares has been damaged. Additionally, vegetables planted on 4,393 hectares have suffered losses amounting to Rs 13.2 million, while fruits on 22 hectares worth Rs 4.4 million have been destroyed. The disaster has also caused a loss of Rs 34 million in sugarcane farming, according to the loss estimation report.

By RSS