Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Apr 25: Amid escalating tension between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack, farmers along the International Border (IB) in the Hiranagar sector have started harvesting their wheat crop in a hurry near the zero line.
With fears of cross-border firing looming large, farmers are being assisted by the Agriculture Department and Border Security Force (BSF) to safely complete the harvest.
The Agriculture Department has deployed three combine harvesters and 15 tractors to cover nearly 3,000 acres of land along the fence.
Chief Agriculture Officer Kathua, Sanjeev Rai Gupta, along with his team, launched the harvesting operation from the border village of Chandwan.
He informed that nearly 350 acres of land cultivated near the zero line during the Rabi season 2024-25 is now being harvested under tight security arrangements by the BSF.
“Earlier, we started farming near the fence on our own during 2021-22. This year, 90 farmers from villages like Chak Changa, Chak Tanda, Krol Krishna, Karol Maithrain, and Maniyari were motivated to cultivate wheat,” Rai said.
Border farmers, though relieved with the bumper crop this year, remain worried due to the tense situation.
Farmer Ram Raj thanked the Government and BSF for their timely support.
“No movement is seen from the Pakistan side, but we can’t trust them. If firing starts, all our hard work will go to waste,” he said.
Despite the risk, the farmers are determined to complete the harvest.
The Agriculture Department has assured that the work will be finished within two to three days, ensuring minimum loss to the farming community.
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