Fazilka, October 16: What began as devastation has turned into a lifeline for hundreds of farmers in Fazilka district whose fields were buried under sand following the Sutlej floods. Thanks to the state government’s ‘Jisda Khet, Usdi Ret’ (whose land, his sand) policy, affected farmers are now earning by allowing sand removal from their submerged farmlands.
In Dona Nanka village, near the Indo-Pak border, the scene on Thursday was unusually busy — tractors, trailers and excavators rumbling through fields once lush with paddy and cotton. Farmers said they are earning around ₹500 per tractor-trailer (about 100 quintals of sand) from private transporters ferrying sand to nearby towns.
“This policy has been a lifeline in tough times. We lost our crops, but at least now we’re earning something from the sand that buried our fields,” said Satnam Singh, 45, a local farmer. He added that though the money provides temporary relief, the land will take months to become fit for cultivation again. “We won’t be able to sow wheat this year,” he said.
While most farmers are charging transporters per trip, some have leased out their land to private contractors operating heavy machinery such as poclain excavators, charging up to ₹1,500 per trailer.
Others, however, worry that mechanisation has deprived local labourers of much-needed work. “If the sand was removed manually, hundreds of workers could earn a livelihood,” Satnam added.
Jarnail Singh, 65, whose paddy crop was completely destroyed, said nearly three feet of sand had settled on his fields. “This is the third day of quarrying here. We get ₹500 per trailer, but dealers earn several times more. Since sand is abundant now, prices have dropped,” he said.
Amarjit Singh, husband of Sarpanch Saroj Rani, said nearly 250 acres in the village are covered with sand while another 100 acres remain waterlogged. “MLA Narinder Pal Singh Sawna has been helping us. The situation is slowly improving,” he said.
Private contractors say they are waiting for more transporters to join the work. “We have machines ready but not enough trailers. Only a few from Fazilka, Jalalabad, Malout and Muktsar are coming so far,” said an executive working on site.
Trailer operators explained that the cost per trip — including diesel, loading and labour — is around ₹2,500, while they earn ₹3,500 by selling sand to dealers. Those dealers, in turn, sell it for ₹5,000 in the market.
With approach roads like the one after Kanwawali Bridge still in bad shape, transportation remains a challenge. Yet, amid the flood’s aftermath, there’s a sense of resilience.
“We’ve come back home. With hard work, we’ll rebuild everything. Some good people are still visiting and helping us,” Jarnail said, as bulldozers groaned in the distance and clouds of dust rose from the once fertile fields.
