Delhi CM announces compensation for farmers affected by floods

New Delhi, Sep 9 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday announced compensation for farmers whose crops were destroyed due to recent floods.

The chief minister held a meeting with the district magistrates of all the 11 revenue districts and lauded them on their efforts to tackle the flood situation.

"I had a meeting with the district magistrates. The officials have been working with alertness and round the clock to tackle the situation.

"The government will provide assistance to people who were affected by the floods. We will also provide compensation to farmers whose crops were affected due to the inundation. To ensure that Delhi can get back on its feet again, the government will help people," Gupta told reporters after the meeting.

She said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government should get a list of farmers whose crops were affected so that they can be provided assistance in time.

Officials said the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) has set in motion the process for providing compensation to affected people.

"The CMO has sought a report from the district magistrates of the 11 revenue districts on the losses incurred by farmers. While six districts -- North, Central, East, Northeast, Southeast and Shahdara -- have been majorly hit, there is a possibility that crops may have been affected in other districts too," a senior official said.

The water level of the Yamuna river touched the season's highest at 207.48 metres at Delhi's main flood-forecasting station last Thursday.

Over the last few days, the river has inundated several areas along its banks.

Tents have been set up on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, near Mori Gate and in Mayur Vihar to temporarily accommodate those evacuated from low-lying areas near the river.

Areas like Monastery Market, Madanpur Khadar and Yamuna Bazar were flooded, prompting people to shift to relief camps.

The official said all the district magistrates have been asked to compile a report and submit it to the divisional commissioner's office. The report will then be forwarded to the CMO.

"In many areas, the issues might be localised. The Mungeshpur drain breach had flooded Jharoda Kalan in Southwest Delhi. Nearly 2,000 people were evacuated from the flooded areas. Those cases will also be considered," he added.

A section of the Mungeshpur drain in Bahadurgarh (in Haryana's Jhajjar district) broke on Tuesday, with water entering villages and unauthorised colonies located close to the Delhi-Haryana border.

Earlier in the day, the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) demanded that the city government provide compensation to those hit by floods in Delhi. PTI SLB RC