Uttar Pradesh orders fast relief as cyclone rain hits crops

The rain relief order: what happened?

A farmer can lose a whole season’s work in one night of rain at harvest time. That is why the speed of the damage survey matters as much as the amount of relief.

• Unseasonal rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds lashed Uttar Pradesh on Thursday and Friday under the influence of Cyclone Arnab, which had weakened into a depression over south Chhattisgarh and south Odisha before moving north.
• Bijnor recorded the highest rainfall in the State, 9.9 cm, followed by Khekda in Baghpat at 8.8 cm, according to data for 30 October. Rajghat in Varanasi recorded 4.12 cm in the east.
• On Friday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath told officials to assess losses to crops, houses and livestock at once and pay compensation without delay.
• People made homeless by house collapses are to be moved to relief camps and shelters. Senior officials must stay in the field, and negligence “will not be tolerated”.
• Ready paddy crops were flattened in districts such as Chandauli, often called Uttar Pradesh’s ‘rice bowl’.

How does a cyclone bring rain to Uttar Pradesh?

Cyclones form over warm seas such as the Bay of Bengal. After they hit the coast, they weaken into depressions but still carry a lot of moisture inland.

When such a system moves north and meets a western disturbance (a rain-bearing wind system from the west), it can bring heavy, unseasonal rain to northern India.

Late October is paddy harvest time in Uttar Pradesh. Rain and wind now can flatten ripe crops (lodging) and make grains rot or sprout in the field.

Relief for natural calamities comes from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), set up under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The Centre pays 75% of it for most States and 90% for Himalayan and north-eastern States.

What help can a farmer get?

Which laws and Articles apply?

• Disaster Management Act, 2005: National, State and District Disaster Management Authorities; State Disaster Response Fund.
• Fifteenth Finance Commission: sets the size of disaster funds for 2021-26.
• Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (2016): farmers pay 2% premium for kharif, 1.5% for rabi and 5% for commercial crops.
• Agriculture is a State subject (Entry 14, State List).

Why does the rain relief order matter?

What are the problems with the rain relief order?

• Damage surveys are often slow, so relief comes late.
• Many small farmers and tenants are not insured.
• Fixed relief amounts may not cover real losses.
• Weather warnings do not always reach farmers in time.

What should be done next on the rain relief order?

• Use satellite images and drones for quick damage surveys.
• Bring tenant farmers and sharecroppers under crop insurance.
• Send weather alerts to farmers’ phones in Hindi and local dialects.
• Build more storage and drying yards to protect harvested grain.

What can Prelims ask on the rain relief order?

Prelims probability: Expect a question on crop insurance and disaster relief: the State Disaster Response Fund is set up under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and crop loss under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana must be reported within 72 hours.

• State Disaster Response Fund: under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
• PMFBY premium: 2% kharif, 1.5% rabi, 5% commercial crops; report loss within 72 hours.
• Western disturbances bring winter rain to north India.
• Bijnor recorded the highest rain, 9.9 cm, on 30 October.
• Chandauli is known as Uttar Pradesh’s ‘rice bowl’.

How to write about the rain relief order in Mains

Practice question (UP PCS Mains GS-VI, 8 marks, 125 words): Unseasonal rain at harvest time is a growing threat to farmers in Uttar Pradesh. Discuss the measures needed for quick relief and long-term resilience.

• Intro: Cyclone Arnab rain; CM’s relief order.
• How cyclones and western disturbances bring rain to UP.
• Relief tools: SDRF, PMFBY, shelters.
• Gaps: slow surveys, uninsured farmers, weak warnings.
• Conclusion: fast relief now, climate-ready farming later.