Jalandhar: Farmers affected by the floods are continuously demanding support.

Jalandhar: Despite the massive devastation caused by the floods, large-scale sand removal work is still underway on agricultural land in the Baupur Mand area. This work is being carried out on a war footing to ensure the fields are leveled in time for maize sowing by February. To rehabilitate the flood-affected farmers, Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal has deployed continuous excavators and heavy tractors for land leveling. In areas where the sand had already been removed, farmers were able to sow wheat. However, many farmers could not sow wheat as their fields were buried under four to five feet of sand. During his visit to the Mand area in the afternoon, Seechewal surveyed the areas where large mounds of sand were still visible in the fields. He appealed to donors to donate diesel, stating that many farmers are still facing serious difficulties due to the heavy sand deposits on their land. Being close to the Beas River, these farmers suffered the most during the floods, as their fields were inundated with a large amount of sand.
For the past three to four months, volunteers associated with Seechewal have been digging trenches five feet deep in the fields. Hard soil is being removed from these trenches and replaced with sand to restore the fertility of the land. The farmers said that if they had tried to level the land themselves, it would have taken them more than ten years to complete the work. However, under Seechewal’s leadership, the collective effort as a voluntary service has significantly expedited the process. He expressed hope that at the current pace, the fields would be completely ready for maize cultivation by February. The farmers present at the site said that the floods had completely destroyed their paddy crop, rendering their land unsuitable for cultivation. Seechewal played a crucial role in helping them recover from this double blow. He has deployed all his heavy machinery in the Mand area. During the floods, they helped people using boats, and after the water receded, they themselves participated in efforts to level the land and sow wheat. Even now, work continues to reinforce the riverbanks.