Karnali, 18 October

Weeks after the monsoon had left Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces, heavy rains and hailstorms caused major damage to the crops in the districts of Karnali. Farmers have become worried after the hailstorms destroyed their paddy, millet, fruits, and vegetables.

The hailstorm that occurred on Sunday evening has caused damage worth crores in the areas of Thatikandh Rural Municipality, Athabis, and Chamundabindrasaini Municipality of West Dailekh.

Khamb Baduwal of Garagaon, Thattikandh Rural Municipality-4, is worried after the hailstorm destroyed his paddy crop. He says that the hailstorm destroyed everything, even though he had produced enough rice for four to five months.

Keharsingh, the ward president of Ward No. 4, says that the crops have been destroyed to the extent that there are hardly any seeds left for the coming year. He also planted 10 paddy seeds and his paddy crop has been completely destroyed.

Garagaon, Dhankot, and other settlements are completely dependent on agriculture. Due to the fertile environment, millet, soybeans, potatoes, and other vegetables are produced in abundance here. Also, Garagaon is considered to be the hub of orange production.

Even though millions of crops have been destroyed, accurate statistics are yet to be collected. On Monday, the disaster branch team of the municipality, Nepal Police, Nepal Red Cross Society, and the agriculture branch also conducted monitoring.

Deepak Rawal of the Disaster Branch of Thattikandh Rural Municipality says that all the crops have been damaged by the hailstorm. He said that data collection is going on and the district administration and state government have been informed about the damage.

Paddy crops have also been destroyed in Chhepadi, Purchha, Upper Bheg of 7, Sinhasain of 6, Tauni Lamdhar, Gorkhi, Sekhark, Layapatal, and Banjkatiyan of 5 of Athabis municipality. Laxman Thapa of Athbis-6 Lamdhar is under stress after the paddy crop was destroyed during the importation.

Targ Baduwal, head of Athabis Municipality, says that work is underway to collect the details of the damage. He said that the state and federal governments should provide relief to the farmers.

Law Minister of the state government Krishna Bahadur Ji says that the government will provide relief to the affected farmers. According to the procedures made by the state government, 20 percent compensation will be provided, he said.

The state government has allocated 6 crores for relief. He said that if it is not enough, the farmers will be relieved even if it is by arranging an additional budget.

Due to the stormy rain on Monday evening, paddy crops in Surkhet and other districts have also been damaged.

Implications of the hailstorm

The hailstorm has caused a major setback for the farmers of Karnali. The crops that were about to be harvested have been destroyed, leaving many farmers without food or income. The government's promise of relief is a welcome relief, but it is important to ensure that the relief is timely and adequate.

The hailstorm also highlights the vulnerability of agriculture to climate change. Extreme weather events such as hailstorms are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change. This poses a serious threat to the livelihoods of farmers and the food security of the country.

The government needs to take steps to help farmers mitigate the risks of climate change. This includes investing in climate-smart agriculture practices and providing farmers with access to insurance and other financial assistance.