# Severe Drought Destroys 90 Percent of Crops in Pali's Rohat as Farmers Demand Famine Declaration

> Inadequate rainfall in the Rohat region of Pali district has left standing crops of moong, sesame, and millet completely scorched, pushing local farmers to demand administrative intervention.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Rajasthan · **Published:** 2026-09-27 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/rajasthan/pali-ke-rohat-men-sukhe-ki-mara-se-90-pratishata-phasalen-tabaha-snkata-men-ghire-kisanon-ne-ki-akala-ghoshita-karane-ki-manga-39385 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Rajasthan News, Pali Agriculture Crisis, Rohat Drought, Farmer Debt, Crop Damage, Girdawari Demand

In the Rohat region of Pali district in Rajasthan, a severe shortage of rainfall has devastated agricultural lands, leaving local farmers in deep distress. For months, cultivators watched the skies in anticipation of rain, but their hopes were dashed as the dry spell persisted. This lack of precipitation has scorched standing crops across dozens of villages, with the Khandi and Khadi areas under the Rohat panchayat samiti being the worst hit. The agricultural crisis has reached a point where farmers are finding it difficult to secure even their basic livelihood, turning what was expected to be a harvest season into a period of silence and economic despair.

The visual landscape across villages like Dungarpur Bishnoiyan ki Dhani, Nenaram Bishnoi ki Dhani, and the wider Khandi panchayat is grim. Crops of moong, sesame, and fodder millet (jowar) have dried up and turned black before they could mature. Local agriculturalists state that between 90% and 100% of their standing crops have been completely ruined. Beyond the loss of grain, this crisis has triggered a severe shortage of cattle fodder, making it incredibly difficult for families to sustain their livestock, which serves as their secondary source of income.

## Double Financial Burden with Skyrocketing Labor Costs
Compounding the tragedy, farmers are now facing an unsustainable double financial burden. To salvage whatever dry fodder or residual grain remains in the parched fields, they must hire agricultural workers. Currently, the daily wage rate for farm labor in the area stands at 600 rupees. Ironically, in fields where the expected yield of moong is barely 50 to 100 kilograms, the cumulative cost of hiring labor is far exceeding the total market value of the harvested produce. Despite knowing they will incur heavy losses, farmers are borrowing more money to pay these laborers just to gather enough dry residue to keep their cattle alive.

## Debt Traps, Disrupted Education, and Kitchen Struggles
The entire socio-economic cycle of Rohat's rural communities hinges on the success of these monsoon-dependent crops. At the start of the season, farmers had taken KCC loans from banks and borrowed from local moneylenders to purchase quality seeds and fertilizers. They believed that a bountiful harvest would help repay their debts, support their household expenses, and cover their children's school tuition. Now, with the total failure of their harvest, repayment has become an impossibility. Families are struggling to afford daily food rations, and the threat of falling deeper into a debt trap has left parents deeply anxious about the educational future of their children.

## Demands for Transparent On-Ground Crop Assessments
Recognizing the severity of the situation on the ground, farmer unions have stepped in to pressure the local administration. Madan Singh, the district president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait), recently conducted a physical survey of the affected villages to evaluate the crop damage. He strongly criticized the bureaucratic approach of the administration. Madan Singh warned, "If administrative officials conduct paper-based assessments in closed rooms, farmers will not receive insurance or government subsidies."

The union leader has formally urged the District Collector of Pali to mandate that all crop loss surveys be carried out directly in the fields in the presence of the farmers. He suggested organizing open community meetings (chaupals) to ensure transparency in recording the actual level of destruction. Furthermore, he appealed to both the state and central governments to formally declare Pali district, and the Rohat block in particular, as drought-hit, demanding an immediate financial relief package to sustain the agrarian community through this severe crisis.

## What this means for you
The drought in Rohat has caused massive crop damage, threatening the livelihoods of local agrarian families.

- **At the Local Level:** Rural households in Rajasthan's Pali and Rohat regions will face immediate financial hardship. The loss of crops leaves them with minimal funds for daily food supplies and children's school tuition.
- **Debt Crisis:** Distressed farmers will find it impossible to repay their bank KCC loans and high-interest private debts on time. Defaulting on these payments could severely restrict their access to future credit.
- **Impact on Livestock:** The severe dry spell has triggered a critical shortage of green fodder. Livestock owners will be forced to purchase expensive feed from outside or sell their cattle at throwaway prices.
- **Rising Labor Costs:** With farm labor wages climbing to 600 rupees per day, harvesting the remaining dry crops is highly unprofitable. This will force farmers to borrow even more money just to pay wages.

## Why this happened
The severe crop failure in Rohat is primarily driven by monsoon failure and administrative gaps.

- **Severe Rainfall Deficit:** The region experienced highly inadequate and erratic rainfall during the crucial monsoon months. This deprived crops like moong, sesame, and millet of vital moisture, causing them to wither and dry up.
- **Lack of Irrigation Facilities:** The affected villages suffer from a severe lack of alternative, assured irrigation infrastructure. Farmers were entirely dependent on seasonal rains, leaving their fields highly vulnerable to dry spells.
- **Inadequate Assessment Practices:** There are concerns that local administrative officials are conducting desk-based crop damage assessments rather than on-field physical verification. This bureaucratic delay is stalling immediate insurance payouts and government relief.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. What is the primary cause of crop damage in Rohat, Pali district?
A severe deficit in rainfall during the monsoon months is the primary reason behind the destruction of standing crops.

### 2. Which crops have been worst affected by the drought in Rohat?
Standing crops of moong, sesame, and fodder millet (jowar) have been 90% to 100% destroyed.

### 3. What practical challenge are farmers facing while harvesting the remaining crops?
Farmers have to pay a high daily wage of 600 rupees to laborers, which exceeds the actual market value of the low-yield harvest.

### 4. What are the key demands raised by farmer unions to the administration?
They have demanded transparent on-ground crop damage assessments in open community meetings and a formal declaration of Pali as drought-hit along with a relief package.

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