"Punjab, often dubbed the country's granary, the damage is unprecedented, as floods have swallowed farmlands almost the size of London and New York City combined. Floods and landslides are common during the JuneSeptember monsoon season on the subcontinent, but experts say climate change, coupled with poorly planned development, is increasing their frequency, severity, and effect. Punjab saw rainfall surge by almost two-thirds compared with the average rate for August, according to the national weather department, killing at least 52 people and affecting more than 400,000."
"The village of Toor, sandwiched between the Ravi river and Pakistan, is in tatters strewn with collapsing crops, livestock carcasses, and destroyed homes. The water came past midnight on 26 August, said farm worker Surjan Lal. It rose up to at least 10 feet (three metres) in a matter of minutes. Lal said the village in Punjab's worst-affected Gurdaspur district was marooned for nearly a week."
"In adjacent Lassia, the last Indian village before the frontier, farmer Rakesh Kumar counted his losses. In addition to the land I own, I had taken some more on lease this year, said the 37-year-old. All my investment has just gone down the drain. To make things worse, Kumar said, the future looked bleak. He said he feared his fields would not be ready in time to sow wheat, the winter crop of choice in Punjab."
Record monsoon rains have inundated vast tracts of farmland across Punjab, leaving paddy brown and wilted and filling the air with the stench of rotting crops and livestock. Floodwaters swallowed areas nearly the size of London and New York City combined, with rainfall surging by almost two-thirds in August, killing at least 52 people and affecting over 400,000. Climate change and poorly planned development are increasing the frequency, severity, and impact of such floods. Villages were marooned, homes and animals destroyed, investments lost, and farmers fear fields will not be ready in time to sow winter wheat. A relief package of about $180m has been announced.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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