Five months of regular hard work of farmers went down the drain when heavy rainfall lashed northern India over the weekend. Unseasonal rains and hailstorm in past 36 hours (Started late on Friday and continued through Sunday) have damaged the standing wheat, mustard and chickpea crop in agricultural fields of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi and caused huge loss to farmers. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had warned about the expected damage to rabi crops (wheat, mustard, etc.) by the heavy rainfall that was anticipated between March 11 and 15. 

Already burdened with debt from previous crop losses, farmers face more difficulties after such rainfalls. They have been facing tough luck for last several seasons and this problem builds a mental pressure on them which in turn often leads them to commit suicides. Not many know but in February farmers went on a rampage in Haryana to protest lack of economic opportunity. There is a constant struggle for survival for this sect of the society. Two failed monsoons, and sudden unseasonal rains, have caused widespread crop damage across northern region and farmers want to know whether they will be compensated in the recently announced Fasal Bima Yojana by the centre.

Prime minister Narendra Modi had said that the Crop Insurance Scheme, launched by the government in January this year, will be a cure to all problems faced by the farmers. However, the implementation still seems to be an issue with the government.