Rain pain: 3,000 rice sacks damaged in Narela

The grains were damaged as there is no proper shelter to stock it at the Narela Anaj Mandi. The rice farmers, who generally pray to the God for a good monsoon are cursing the rain as well as the government for taking around Rs 20 crore tax per annum but doing nothing to provide facilities to them.

“The farmers come to the market as most of the popular companies dealing in packaged grains directly purchase their stock at a relatively good price. As there is no adequate place to keep the stock, the rice sacks were kept in the open and rotted in the rain,” said Joginder Dahiya, president, Federation of Narela. 

He added that around 2,000-3,000 sacks of good quality rice (<g data-gr-id="34">dhaan</g>) was destroyed in the rain and grains in several sacks germinated due to the downpour.

“It is the largest grain market in Asia, but there is no facility for farmers. The government gets around Rs 18-20 crore as <g data-gr-id="39">taxes,</g> but has not even provided dispensary and sitting places for farmers, who come from neighbouring states,” he added. 

The market caters to the needs of Western UP, Haryana, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh. 

“The rice destroyed here was of <g data-gr-id="49">very</g> good quality to be sold to brands such as India Gate, Dawat and other companies. The loss runs in crores of rupees,” he added. 

Showing the germinated rice in a sack, Raju, a farmer from Jind in Haryana, said: “I have been preserving the grain for the a long time and had brought it here to get a good price, but I have lost everything to the rain.”

The Federation of Narela, an association of grain seller farmers, has been demanding <g data-gr-id="42">creation</g> of four auction platforms, besides shelter homes and other facilities for the past five-six years. 

“The proposal was accepted three years ago, but the MCD has not yet approved the map. There are two auction platforms already working, but we will construct four more as soon as the map is approved,” said Umed Singh, Secretary of the grain market. 

Around 5,000-6,000 quintals of grain come to the market on a daily basis, which go up to 1-1.25 lakh quintals per day during the harvest season.

“It is sad that a large section of people are hungry in the country and grains worth hundreds of crores (rupees) have been destroyed. The damage has become a routine affair in every monsoon in this mandi,” added Dahiya.