With road connectivity snapped in Himachal’s remote district Lahaul-Spiti owing to flash floods, farmers are a worried lot over the transportation of vegetables and other cash crops during the peak harvesting season. In Lahaul and Spiti, peas, cauliflower, and broccoli are ready for harvest.BRO personnel use excavators to clear debris from the Manali-Leh Highway near Jispa after a cloudburst triggered flash floods, in Lahaul and Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh, on Wednesday. (PTI)In Lahaul-Spiti the road from Phura to Jahalma Nullah is closed after damage owing to flashflood.The road disruption has caused anxiety among farmers and horticulturists, who are harvesting vegetables and other produce for dispatch to markets outside the region. Though labour has been deployed to transport the harvest on foot to market, it will lead to escalation in cost of transportation and result in sky-rocketing prices.Growers fear that prolonged disruption of road connectivity could lead to significant financial losses if their produce fails to reach markets in time.“Our produce is ready but now with roads having been washed away, we are worried how we will ensure our produce reaches the market so that our hard work is not wasted,” said a farmer from Lahaul, Pritam Singh.“The government should have taken steps for construction of alternative routes as the Jobrang bridge and Jhalma bridge cannot be used for transportation. This is just the beginning of the monsoon season and if alternative measures are not put in place, the crops will be damaged,” said farmer Ganesh Lal.Bir Singh, a farmer from Lindur village, who has cultivated cauliflower on 10 bighas, fears that due to the road disruption, the entire crop will perish in the fields.Lahaul-Spiti deputy commissioner Kiran Bhadana visited the Jobrang Bridge area to assess the issues faced by local villagers and farmers firsthand. During the inspection, locals informed the DC that water flows over the Jobrang Bridge every year during the summer and monsoon, causing significant commuting difficulties for the residents of Jobrang Panchayat.The DC assured the farmers and the locals that the district administration is working to resolve their difficulties. She stated that the crops would not be allowed to suffer damage under any circumstances, and every possible step would be taken to ensure smooth movement for the people.Bhadana directed the PWD executive engineer to arrange for two span carriers (cable trolleys) on a priority basis to safely transport the farmers’ vegetables and other agricultural produce to the market. Additionally, she instructed the departments concerned to open an alternative route immediately and to deploy additional machinery and manpower to ensure that villagers do not face any inconvenience in commuting.“The issue in the Jobrang area has long been a source of trouble for the local population, and the district administration would take necessary steps in coordination with all relevant departments to resolve it permanently,” said Bhadana.