खबर

HAILSTORM BATTER CROPS, VEGETABLES IN EAST SIKKIM

KUNAL RAI
GANGTOK: The intense hailstorm of Thursday afternoon has caused extensive damage to vegetables and standing crops in different parts of East Sikkim, informed the authorities here. Farmers have incurred huge losses as it was the time for Rabi crop harvest.
Horticulture secretary M.T. Sherpa informed SIKKIM EXPRESS that the agricultural damages due to hailstorm was reported from Rumtek, Ranka, Syari, Assam Lingzey and other parts of East Sikkim. Rainfall took place in other districts but there was no hailstorm which saved the crops and vegetables there from being damaged, he said.
“Losses incurred by the farmers due to the hailstorm are extensive as it was the harvesting time of Rabi crops. We have directed the Horticulture officials to visit the affected areas and do assessment of the damages and losses incurred by the farmers,” said the Horticulture secretary.
Following the Thursday hailstorm, the east district administration exempted the government Revenue Surveyors and officials of Agriculture and Horticulture departments from the lockdown restrictions. They were permitted to move in their vehicles to visit the affected areas and do assessment of the crop damages. The exemption is till April 13.
Sherpa informed that the State government will compensate the farmers for their losses. The actual field report from the entire east district is expected by Saturday and based on the report, action will be initiated, he said.
“It is also a transition phase where the farmers start sowing the Kharif seeds and saplings. Those seeds and saplings could also have been destroyed by the hailstorm. We also plan to extend fresh seeds and required inputs to the farmers for these crops considering the upcoming Kharif season,” said Sherpa.
Teams of the Agriculture and Horticulture departments visited the affected areas with Rumtek-Rawtey GPU said to be the worst-affected GPU. The damage is said to be 80% to 100% in the severely hit GPUs.
The crops and vegetables damaged include buckwheat, mustard, oats, maize, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, peas, cardamom and beans.

CLOTH FACE MASKS FROM BHALEY DHUNGA SHG


NAMCHI (IPR): At a time when wearing face mask has become mandatory due to the outbreak of COVID-19, Yangang subdivision-based Bhaley Dhunga Self Help Group (SHG) has come forward to make cloth face masks. This is an all-women tailoring group and was formed last December when the State government allocated the job of school uniform stitching to the SHGs.
There are at least 20 members in this group who are from Sripatam Gagyong, Yangang Rangang and Neya Mangzing GPUs. These self-reliant tailoring experts possess a sewing machine each and are between the age group 25 to 55.
The idea to sew face mask was encouraged when they learnt that there was a shortage of masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The group follows proper sanitation protocol while producing the masks, says assistant project manager Sarita Pokhrel.
As of now, around 150 masks made out of soft cotton material has been manufactured by the SHG which were given free of cost to the villagers of Lower and Upper Neya and Brum.
The drawback is that the cloth face mask stitched by these ladies does not meet the required medical standards but it is an excellent substitute to handkerchiefs, scarves and many more tiny fabrics worn by people to cover their nose and mouth. Healthy individuals can use this cloth mask rather than surgical and N95 mask as they are supposed to be used by surgeons, medical workers and ailing individuals.
Additionally, the SHG women also help in bringing about ample awareness about the disease to the locals along with urging them to follow the basic hygiene routine in order to fight this crisis. It is through volunteering and combined contribution of women like them that rural population are well-informed and prepared to deal with this emergency.sikkimexpress/from,india

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