Chitwan, July 25

Excessive accumulation of water in the fields due to incessant rainfall has damaged crops and vegetables in Chitwan.

According to Agricultural Knowledge Centre, Bharatpur, rain has its impact in most parts of the district. The hilly areas faced damage and losses from the landslides while the plain areas in the district suffered the consequences of inundation. In Bharatpur Municipality, paddy, banana and vegetable crops cultivated in 4,000 hectare were damaged due to inundation.

Farms in the downstream of the Narayani River was damaged by inundation. Wards 16, 18, 19, 26, 27 and 28 faced the highest scale of damage. Kalika Padampur area, which is popular for banana farming, is also affected by the monsoon.

Centre Chief Rajan Dhakal said nursery plants were damaged and ruined due to water accumulation in the field. Landslides in Ichhakamana Rural Municipality of the district have destroyed maize fields. Dhakal said details of the loss will be submitted to the District Disaster Management Committee to proceed for relief distribution to the farmers. Price of vegetables has soared in the district as supply from the hilly areas was suspended with the closure of roads due to floods and landslides. This season sees less vegetable production in the plains and a bit more production in the hilly areas. Municipal fruits and vegetables market Managing

Director Thir Prasad Dhital said the supply had got affected due to inundation in the plain and landslide in the hilly areas. The district imports vegetables from Dhading, Makwanpur and Bhaktapur and surrounding hilly districts and the import has been delayed, resulting in the price hike.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on July 26, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.