Jowai, Nov 6: The delicate, time-consuming process of rice farming, spanning nearly eight months from ploughing to harvesting, was sadly undone in just 15 minutes of extreme weather on Tuesday in West Jaiñtia Hills.
A sudden hailstorm struck around 2:30 PM, causing extensive crop damage across four villages, where farmers were days away from harvest.
Upon visiting the affected villages of Pynthorlangteiñ, Muphlang, Mustem, and Iongnoh, remnants of the hailstorm were still visible on Wednesday, with large hailstones blanketing the fields and shattering farmers’ hopes. In Mustem Village alone, where 150 households were impacted, headman H. Shylla explained that 340 Kieñ (each Kieñ is approximately 1,338 square meters) of ripened rice were destroyed in the storm, representing months of labour that now lie in ruin.
In Iongnoh Village, headman Hoping Bang stated that the hailstorm had obliterated the efforts of 62 households, covering 115 Kieñ of paddy fields. “Eight months of hard work has been reduced to nothing,” he remarked.
Muphlang Village’s headman reported that, in addition to extensive crop damage, several homes had also been harmed by the severe hail, affecting 25 households with approximately 45-50 Kieñ of crops destroyed.
Meanwhile, in Pynthorlangteiñ, headman A. Lipong shared that the hailstorm struck with unprecedented force not once but three times, around 2:40 PM, wiping out nearly every seed that could have been saved for the next planting season. In his village, 50 households lost a total of 115 Kieñ of rice.
Following the devastation, the headmen of all the four affected villages submitted a petition to the Deputy Commissioner of West Jaiñtia Hills on Wednesday, seeking urgent financial or other forms of assistance to help the impacted families recover and sustain their livelihoods.
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