Women farmers demand compensation for crop damage in Didihat
Women farmers demand compensation for crop damage in Didihat
B.D.Kasniyal
Pithoragarh, Oct 16
Women’s organisations representing farming communities in Didihat submitted a memorandum to the state government through the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Khushbu Pandey, on Friday, demanding compensation for crops damaged by unseasonal rains and hailstorms. They also sought measures to address the adverse effects of changing weather patterns and the increasing menace of wild animals in the hill region.
Before submitting the memorandum, the women’s organisations held a conference in Didihat to discuss the impact of unseasonal and excessive rainfall, changing weather patterns, and alterations in the composition of traditional grass species in local forests. They urged the state government to undertake a comprehensive study of changing climatic conditions and their effects on communities dependent on agriculture and forests.
“Traditional crops were already facing damage from wild animals, and the situation has been aggravated by hailstorms this year. The widespread destruction of crops has made it increasingly difficult for farmers to sustain their livelihoods through agriculture. We have, therefore, demanded compensation from the state government to help farmers cope with these losses and continue farming,” said Kheema Jethi, an organiser of the Mahila Kisan Adhikar Manch in Didihat.
According to Jethi, the women’s organisations, working under the umbrella of three organisations—Action-Aid, Pahal Society and Mahila Kisan Adhikar Manch—have also demanded the protection and conservation of indigenous varieties of grasses, shrubs and herbs.
Such measures, she said, would not only ensure the availability of traditional fodder for domestic animals but also help conserve the native flora of local forests.
“We have also demanded that women’s organisations be made partners in forest management through Van Panchayats and forest committees,” said Chandra Devi, former gram pradhan of Khetar Kanyal village in Didihat subdivision of Pithoragarh district.
