The receding floodwaters in Assam bring a different challenge for the people—the steep rise in vegetable prices. Besides displacing families and submerging vast areas, the floods, which have affected over 12.33 lakh people across 24 districts of Assam, have also disrupted the supply chain of essential commodities, causing vegetable prices to shoot up.
According to local traders, the floods seriously affected the vegetable supply from major agricultural districts of the state, leading to a steep rise in their prices. More than 32,924 hectares of crop area is now submerged, which has reduced the supplies of local vegetables to an all-time low. This scarcity has compelled the markets to fall back upon the vegetables that are supplied from outside the state and are sold at premium prices.
Contrasted with this, ASDMA said that more than 3,18,326 people in Dhubri district, 1,48,609 in Cachar, and several thousands in other districts are still affected. With more bodies recovered today, including in a boat capsize incident in Goalpara district, the toll mounted to 90.
The situation in the state’s agricultural belts is a matter of serious concern. Heavy chunks of cropland have been ruined in Nagaon, Kamrup, and Darrang districts, and more than 18,000 hectares in Nagaon have turned infertile. The supplies and rates of vegetables like brinjal, bitter gourd, ridge gourd, and long beans have been directly impacted, and these green vegetables are retailing at Rs 80 per kilo or more in the markets.
Efforts of the state government to rein in the price rise have been criticized. Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi slammed the Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma-led administration over its inability to keep the spiraling prices at bay.
According to Gogoi, the CM had announced in June that at the district level, task forces would be constituted to monitor and keep the prices of vegetables under control. He, however, expressed doubts over the implementation and effectiveness of those measures, saying that it is the ‘unscrupulous traders ruling the markets’ who are manipulating the flood situation to inflate prices.
“Farmers have suffered heavy losses as their crops have been damaged. Those who have crops are unable to get them to the market as the floods have blocked all roads. On the other hand, the traders are importing vegetables from outside the state and selling them at higher prices, hence overlooking the local farmers,” Gogoi stated.
According to the report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, it is inadvertent that croplands suffered extensive damage, and the loss is considerable in Nagaon, Kamrup, and Darrang districts. While the monsoon season normally disturbs market prices, officials say it has been amplified in the current case by the flood-induced disruptions.
Falling water levels of rivers like the Brahmaputra, Burhidihing, Disang, and Kushiyara raise hopes among people that living conditions and market prices would stabilize. What is needed now is immediate and proper intervention by the government to ensure proper pricing and supporting local farmers so that recovery from this devastating flood could be speedy.
