Lok Sabha Question No. 5303 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-04-05
Subject: Crops Damaged due to Rain and Floods
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Maddila  Gurumoorthy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5303

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 5 TH  APRIL, 2022

## CROPS DAMAGED DUE TO RAIN AND FLOODS

5303. SHRI MADDILA GURUMOORTHY:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  heavy  rains  and  floods  in  four  districts  of Andhra  Pradesh have  damaged agricultural  crops  spread  over  eight  lakh  hectares  with crop loss estimated around Rs. 3,000 crore;
- (b) if so, whether any compensation and financial assistance has been provided for the same to the State;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the measures taken by the Government to change cropping patterns which will help mitigate changes in climate across the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) to (c): The  Primary  responsibility  for  disaster  management  rests  with  the  State Governments.  The State Governments undertake assessment of damages and provide financial   relief   in   the   wake   of   12 notified natural disasters, from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), already placed at their disposal. Additional financial assistance is extended  from  the  National  Disaster  Response  Fund  (NDRF)  as  per  the  established procedure in case of disaster of severe nature, which includes a visit of the affected areas by the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT).   Assistance approved under SDRF/NDRF is in the form of relief.

The  Government  of  Andhra  Pradesh  sought  an  additional  financial  assistance  of Rs.1080.71 crore (including Rs.555.19 crore for agricultural input subsidy) from NDRF for the damages caused by heavy rains and flood in the State in 2021.  Based on the report of the  IMCT  and  the  recommendations  of  the  Sub-Committee  of  National  Executive Committee  (SC-NEC),  the  High  Level  Committee  approved  financial  assistance  of Rs.351.43 crore (including Rs.201.90 crore for agricultural input subsidy) from NDRF to the State Government of Andhra Pradesh, which has since been released.

Further, to provide financial support and claims against the crop yield losses due to natural risks/calamities, adverse weather conditions, pests & diseases etc., crop insurance schemes namely, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and Restructured Weather Based  Crop  Insurance  Scheme  (RWBCIS)  are  being  implemented  by  the  Government. Both  the  schemes  are  voluntary  for  States  and  farmers.   All  the  farmers  growing  the crops/areas  notified  by  the  concerned  State  Government  are  eligible  for  coverage  by paying  their  share  of  premium  and  get  claims  on  loss  of  crop  as  per  provisions  of  the respective schemes. The State Government of Andhra Pradesh is not implementing the PMFBY since Rabi 2019-20 Season in the State.

(d): To  meet  the  challenges  of  sustaining  domestic  food  production  in  the  face  of changing  climate,  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR)  under  Ministry  of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare launched a flagship network project 'National Innovations in  Climate  Resilient  Agriculture'  (NICRA)  in  2011.  The  project  aims  to  develop  and promote climate resilient technologies that help the districts and regions prone to extreme weather  conditions  like  droughts,  floods,  frost,  heat  waves,  etc.,  to  cope  up  with  such extremes. Promising resilient technologies towards change in cropping pattern have been demonstrated  on  large  scale  in  the  farmers'  fields.  Some  of  these  cropping  patterns change technologies are:

-  Resilient varieties in different crops tolerant to climatic stresses
-  Resilient intercropping systems
-  Crop diversification from paddy to other alternate crops like pulses, oilseeds
-  Agroforestry systems
-  Zero till drill sowing of wheat to escape terminal heat stress
-  Alternate  methods  of  rice  cultivation  like  system  of  rice  intensification,  aerobic rice, direct seeded rice
-  Green manuring
-  Integrated farming systems

Further,  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Farmers  Welfare  is  implementing  the  Crop Diversification Programme (CDP) in the Original Green Revolution States i.e. Haryana, Punjab  &  Uttar  Pradesh  (western  part)  since  2013-14  to  divert  the  area  of  water intensive  paddy  crop  to  alternative  crops  like  pulses,  oilseeds,  coarse  cereals,  nutri cereals, cotton etc.

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