Over one lakh hectares of standing crop across Assam has been washed away in the floods.
25-year-old Bashit Ali is selling his last stock of jute at half the price. His new produce has been washed away by the twin waves of floods in Assam. Bashit, a sixth generation cultivator, has only half a tonne to sell at the Bahri weekly market, around 100 km from Guwahati.
"I am under huge debt. I was not getting enough value for my previous produce because the prices had fallen and now that is also over. My new produce is washed away and the government hardly helps" Bashit tells NDTV.
The floods have taken away a lot from Assam this year, particularly from its farmers. Over one lakh hectares of standing crop across the state has been washed away, spelling losses of around 163 crores for the agricultural sector.
Paddy vendors at the Bahri market are equally anxious as they anticipate an inevitable shortage of foodgrain.
"This time I have lost all my vegetable produce - chili, tomato, cabbages. The list has been more than one lakh," said Bondez Ali, a vegetable farmer at Bahri.
"The crops have been washed away. Now it will take another 4 months at least for the paddy field to be ready" said another farmer," Zahoor Khan.
To save the already grim picture of Assam from drowning, the state government has asked the Centre to release 200 crore rupees as special aid for the agricultural sector.
"Farmers should get credit cards and other such facilities in these areas. Their situation is extremely sad. They are contributing a lot but not getting enough," said Forhad Bhutan, noted social activist from Bahri explained NDTV.
The tragedy that the farmers in the state are facing is not a new one. For a long time, they have been complaining about not getting a good price for their produce and the recurring floods this year have broken the backbone of the farming community.
Though the government has offered aid, it does not seem enough to even put a gloss over the gloomy picture the farmers are in.