Harishankar reports from Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh. He is a full-time social activist, primarily reporting on land rights, food security and education. He also reports on Dalit rights and police torture, and believes that mobilising the community is crucial to resolving any issue; and believes in working for community media as opposed to mainstream media because the latter, he feels, does…

Harishankar Gupta

Unseasonal heavy rains in the month of October coupled with extra water being released from Nepal has wreaked havoc on the lives of farmers from Sitapur district in Uttar Pradesh.

Our Community Correspondent Harishankar Gupta reports that paddy farmers from the area have lost almost everything they sowed this season. "My loss will be around Rs. 20,000 as everything I sowed has rotten in the water. A good harvest yields about 20-25 quintals of rice. But this season, we will hardly be able to harvest 5 quintals," said Mustkim Khan from Aam Gauraiya village.

Another woman, Tejana from the Rai village says she has a family size of 8 members. The devastation caused by continuous rains for three days has waterlogged their fields and now she wonders what will she feed her children.

The local revenue officer Nilesh Mishra surveyed the affected villages and is working with the administration to initiate proceedings for compensation. Meanwhile, village kids who are being used as extra hands to harvest whatever can be salvaged have been instructed to not venture near heavily flooded areas as there is a risk of drowning and from reptiles and animals.

See: Live video discussion on the current floods situation in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar