Hailstorm flattens ripe paddy in Eastern West Khasi Hills; farmers seek aid

Farmers in Meghalaya's Eastern West Khasi Hills district are asking the state government for help after a hailstorm on Sunday, November 8, flattened paddy that was ready to be harvested.

The storm hit fields in Maroid, Nongthymmai, Rikhen, Thangmaw, Mawkohmit, Mawsium, Langñiuh and nearby villages, the Shillong-based Highland Post reported. Besides paddy, squash and other vegetables grown in the area were badly damaged, farmers said.

'A loss of our whole season's work'

Farmers told reporters that fields which normally give six to nine bags of paddy have been beaten down by hail, and many now expect to get one bag or less. "It is not just a loss of crop, it is a loss of our whole season's work," one farmer from the affected belt said.

Coming just before harvest, the damage hits households that depend on a single paddy crop for the year's rice and income. For many families in these upland villages, there is little to fall back on until the next season.

Past losses, no help, they say

The farmers said this was not the first time hail had wrecked their crops. In earlier years, they said, they had sent photographs of the damage to the authorities concerned but did not receive any assistance.

They have appealed to the government to treat this year's damage as a natural calamity and to provide immediate support. "This damage was not caused by us. It was caused by nature. The government should show concern," the farmers said.

What comes next

No official assessment of the damage from the district administration or the agriculture department had been made public as of Monday night. Crop losses from notified natural calamities such as hailstorms can be compensated under State Disaster Response Fund norms once they are assessed and verified, while farmers enrolled in crop insurance can claim for localised damage.

Eastern West Khasi Hills, carved out of West Khasi Hills with its headquarters at Mairang, is largely agricultural, with paddy grown in the valleys alongside vegetables on the slopes.

NEInsider will update this report when the district administration or the state agriculture department responds.