It's still not a happy time for farmers in Punjab. A delayed monsoon has increased their worries and any more of a delay could hit the production of rice paddy crop and also increase the input cost of cultivating Kharif crop.
Punjab is facing a rain deficit of more than 70 per cent. Delayed monsoons have hindered the plans of many farmers who have sown paddy crop but are still not able to properly irrigate their lands. The problem is heightened for those who can't afford artificial irrigation have to wait for natural rain to irrigate their farms.
Like Amrik Singh, a farmer in Mohali who depends on the monsoons for his crop to grow. "Without water we can't farm. There is erratic power supply and there is no rain, so it's extremely difficult," he says. Another farmer Surinder Singh too has similar worries. "Three years ago, I borrowed a lakh as my crop failed. If the monsoons fail this year, I will have to take another loan to buy a water pump. it will be very difficult for me to repay that and make ends meet," says Singh.
For farmers in Punjab. the low levels at Bhakra reservoir means less power generation. For a state that is grappling with power shortage of 310 lakh units per day this only means bad news.
The silver lining is the Met department prediction that the next few days could bring rain to the state. If so, the deficit could be bridged.