LAHORE: The floods have left behind around 348,244 acres under varying levels of water in eight districts of Punjab, with Layyah and Rajanpur being the worst hit with over 100,000 and 73,282 of their acres submerging under water, respectively.

According to the district and crop-wise statistics compiled by the Agriculture Department, sugarcane took the major hit when its 71,145 acres went under water, followed by cotton with 67,629 acres, moong 56,927 acres and fodder fourth with 50,237 acres.

The miscellaneous head covers 90,118 acres and vegetable had a hit at 6,493 acres and orchards on 5,695 acres.

The two tehsils of Layyah - Karor and Layyah - saw 102,624 acres under water, where cane, cotton, moong, fodder, orchards and vegetables were inundated. Three tehsils of Rajanpur (Rajanpur, Jampur and Rojan) jointly suffered losses on 73,282 acres. Khushab was the third worst hit district, with three tehsils – Khushab, Quaidabada and Noorpur – suffering combined losses on over 70,150 acres. Rahim Yar Khan saw its four tehsils – Rahim Yar Khan, Sadiqabad, Khanpour and Liaqatpr – taking hit on 33,300 acres. Similarly, four tehsils of Muzaffargarh district – Muzaffaghar, Kot Addu, Alipur and Jatoi – suffered losses on 31,786 acres. Three tehsils of Mianwali – Isa Khel, Piplan and Mianwali – had 12,920 acres suffering losses and Dera Ghazi Khan and Multan suffering losses on 18,415 and 5,767 acres.

Apart from these crop, green fodder centres in Multan (13), Layyah (45), Rajanpur (5) and Khushab (2) also suffered losses. Wheat bhoosa (husk) centers also came under water in Multan (13), Rahim Yar Khan (9), Rajanpur (5), Layyah (22) and Khushab (2).

“These figures were updated on August 11 and represent the latest situation in the province,” explained an official of the Punjab Agriculture Department. The department is now in the process of assessing the extend of damages on these acres. Sugarcane, which has taken the major hit, might escape major losses because of its strong resistance to water, but in most of the cases the standing water is there for well over a week, which might hit the crop – but to what extent is still not known. However, the major departmental worry is cotton because of not only flooding of the crop but following wet and cloudy condition, along with high temperatures. These conditions make ideal conditions for pest attack. Cotton is bound to suffer some kind of losses, even where flood waters have not touched the crop – as at least quality is bound to suffer even if final yield remains the same. On the same pattern, pulses would also suffer because of massive losses to moong. The crop suffered on two accounts: its concentration in river bed and high sensitivity to water – even for heavy rains, leave alone floods. The Punjab is running a full-fledged pulses initiative, which may suffer because of moong. Mash also had some hit in other areas. The extent of the damage, however, is still not clear, he concluded.

“The government is mainly worried about final figures of each crop and its role in overall growth of the sector, but it is totally oblivious to individual losses to farmers, which might have ruined their lives,” says Naeem Hotiana of Pakpattan. The government should see how many small farmers have suffered and how would they coop with financial stress, if not havoc, created by the flooding in the province, he concluded.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play