Rajouri crop loss survey: Agri Dept assesses flood damage, PMFBY relief soon
Synopsis
Flash floods in Rajouri have wiped out hundreds of kanals of farmland, and the Agriculture Department is now racing to document every loss — including for uninsured farmers who fall outside the PMFBY net. The commitment to compile and forward uninsured farmer data to the government is the detail that could determine whether relief reaches those who need it most.
Key Takeaways
The Agriculture Department of Rajouri launched a district-wide crop loss survey on 31 July following flash floods and heavy rainfall.
CAO Rajesh Verma led a field inspection of Athi village , where hundreds of kanals of farmland were washed away.
Standing paddy and maize crops suffered massive destruction; soil erosion rendered several fields unfit for cultivation.
Compensation for insured farmers will be processed under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) as per scheme guidelines.
Details of uninsured farmers will also be compiled and forwarded to the government for relief under other provisions.
A comprehensive damage report will be submitted to the District Administration to expedite relief disbursal.
The Agriculture Department of Rajouri has launched a district-wide crop loss assessment drive following devastating flash floods and heavy rainfall that destroyed standing crops and fertile farmland across the region. The survey, initiated on 31 July, is designed to fast-track compensation for affected farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and other government relief schemes.
Ground Assessment Under Way
Chief Agriculture Officer (CAO) Rajesh Verma, accompanied by senior departmental officials, visited the flood-ravaged Athi village in Rajouri district, where overflowing rivers and streams washed away hundreds of kanals of fertile farmland. Standing paddy and maize crops suffered extensive destruction, and deep soil erosion has rendered several fields unfit for cultivation, pushing farming families into acute distress.
During field inspections, officials documented crop losses, damaged agricultural land, and other farm assets. Affected farmers shared accounts of their losses and appealed for immediate financial assistance to rebuild their livelihoods.
What the Department Has Promised
CAO Rajesh Verma assured that Agriculture Department teams are conducting assessments across all flood-affected villages in Rajouri to ensure a transparent and scientifically rigorous evaluation. He confirmed that compensation claims of farmers insured under PMFBY would be processed strictly as per the scheme's guidelines.
Notably, the department has also committed to compiling details of uninsured farmers and forwarding them to the government so they can be considered for relief under other available provisions — a step that could extend the safety net beyond the formal insurance framework.
Scale of the Damage
The floods have caused large-scale agricultural losses across Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir, with hundreds of kanals of farmland washed away or rendered uncultivable due to soil erosion. The destruction of paddy and maize crops — both key summer crops in the region — threatens the income of farming households ahead of the harvest season. This comes amid a broader pattern of flood-related agricultural losses in the Jammu division during the monsoon months, which have historically strained both state relief mechanisms and crop insurance payouts.
Farmers' Response
Farmers in the affected areas expressed gratitude for the administration's prompt response and voiced hope that both the Central Government and the District Administration would deliver timely compensation and rehabilitation support. The department has assured that every affected farmer will be covered in the survey and that a comprehensive damage report will be submitted to the District Administration to expedite relief disbursal.
With the assessment now under way, the pace of compensation processing under PMFBY and allied schemes will be closely watched by farming communities across Rajouri.
Point of View
But the real test lies in speed and coverage. PMFBY has a well-documented last-mile problem in Jammu and Kashmir, where claim settlement timelines routinely stretch beyond the next sowing season, defeating the purpose of the insurance. The department's stated commitment to include uninsured farmers is significant — but only if that data actually triggers disbursals under the State Disaster Response Fund or equivalent provisions, rather than being filed and forgotten. Flood-season agricultural losses in the Jammu division are not a new story; what is new, or needs to be, is a verifiable turnaround time on compensation.
NationPress
31 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has the Agriculture Department launched a crop survey in Rajouri?
The Agriculture Department of Rajouri initiated a district-wide survey on 31 July to assess damage to agricultural land and standing crops caused by recent flash floods and heavy rainfall. The survey is intended to fast-track compensation for affected farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and other government relief schemes.
Which crops were damaged by the Rajouri floods?
Standing paddy and maize crops suffered extensive destruction across flood-affected villages in Rajouri. Deep soil erosion has also rendered several fields unfit for future cultivation, compounding the losses for farming families.
Will uninsured farmers in Rajouri receive any compensation?
Yes, according to CAO Rajesh Verma, details of uninsured farmers will be compiled separately and forwarded to the government for consideration under other available relief provisions beyond PMFBY. This is intended to ensure that farmers without crop insurance are not excluded from the relief process.
What is the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)?
PMFBY is a Central Government crop insurance scheme that provides financial support to farmers suffering crop losses due to natural calamities, pests, or diseases. Insured farmers in Rajouri affected by the flash floods are eligible to file compensation claims under the scheme, which will be processed as per official guidelines.
What happens after the crop loss survey is completed?
Once the assessment is complete, the Agriculture Department will submit a comprehensive damage report to the District Administration to expedite relief. Compensation claims for PMFBY-insured farmers will be processed under scheme guidelines, while uninsured farmer data will be forwarded to the government for additional relief consideration.
