Unprecedented monsoon rains have left Punjab’s kinnow growers anxious, with waterlogging posing a serious threat to orchards in Fazilka district, one of the State’s key citrus-producing regions. As the mandarin crop forms the backbone of the local agricultural economy, farmers are seeking the government’s urgent intervention.
The heavy rain this season has raised the saline groundwater table from 9-10 feet to as little as 3 feet at certain places, according to orchardists and experts, submerging many orchards that are sensitive to waterlogged conditions and saline water.
