Bengal farmers burn crops as devastating fungi threaten wheat
spores that can travel from Bengal to the wheat bowl of the country in the Hindi heartland.
“We are felling the crop first and then spraying kerosene and setting the field on fire. We must ensure that all crops and seeds are destroyed. The spores which spread through air has to be contained,” said Arun Roy, project co-ordinator and additional director of the state agriculture department. To contain the spread of wheat blast, the state government has deployed men and machines, including combined harvester machines to chop off the crop, and jars of kerosene to set them alight.
The outbreak of wheat blast last year took a heavy toll on Bangladesh, where crops of over 20,000 hectares had to be burnt. Both Nadia and Murshidabad border Bangladesh, alarming the government in West Bengal.
The anti-fungus drive is said to be for protecting wheat crops. But Dulal Sheikh is desolate watching his crop go up in flames. “I had invested ₹4,000 for 12.5 cottah of land in terms of seed and fertilisers. This is apart from the toil my son and I put in. If everything went well I would have got ₹6,000 for my produce, which means a profit of ₹2,000. But now I don’t know what will I do,” he said, watching the thick smoke billowing from his field.
The administration is offering ₹50,375 as compensation for crop destroyed per hectare. “The amount is paltry and we are not sure when the money will be disbursed,” said Atiur Khan, a farmer of Sonpukur, whose crop was also set alight.
Nadia is one of the most fertile tracts of Bengal with Gangetic alluvial soil. Diverse crops from jute, onion, red chilli to paddy and wheat are grown in abundance in the region.