Early weather warnings ease paddy harvesting for Kanchanpur farmers

KANCHANPUR: Early weather warnings are easing paddy harvesting for farmers in Kanchanpur as they increasingly rely on forecasts rather than visual cues from the sky.

Nilam Karki of Saraswati Tole in Krishnapur Municipality-2 now checks her mobile phone before entering her fields. A quick look at the forecast tells her whether it is safe to cut the crop or better to wait. “Earlier, we had to look at the clouds and make our own judgment about when to harvest. Now, weather forecasts have made it much easier,” Karki said. “We call 1155, get the latest information and decide when to harvest.”

The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) provides information on the likelihood of rain, expected rainfall and other weather conditions. Farmers can also obtain updates via the DHM’s 1155 toll-free number.

Karki, who grows paddy on five katthas of land, checks the forecast before making important farming decisions. Nirmala Badu of the same municipality, who cultivates paddy on four katthas, said the forecasts have brought similar relief. “We check the weather information through 1155 before deciding when to harvest,” Badu said. “We have been cutting the paddy after taking the necessary precautions based on the forecast.”

The early warnings are useful beyond harvest timing. Sirens and mobile alerts warn residents when rivers rise and flood risk increases. Bisan Pant of Bedkot Municipality-7 said timely warnings help protect crops and reduce flood losses. “Early warnings have helped us protect our crops and, at the same time, reduce flood-related losses,” he said. He recalled that until a few years ago harvested paddy would sometimes be submerged in the fields after unexpected rain or flooding. “We do not have to face that problem as often now,” he added.

Pant noted that the spread of weather information on social media can create uncertainty among farmers. “Sometimes it is difficult to know whether the weather information circulating on social media is genuine or not,” he said.

Reliable forecasts from the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology have given farmers a more dependable basis for deciding when to harvest and how to prepare for adverse weather. The Department’s forecast of rainfall in Kanchanpur on Wednesday prompted farmers across the district to remain alert.

According to the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Kanchanpur, 56,363 hectares of the district’s total 161,624 hectares are cultivable. Paddy is grown on 48,496 hectares, while wheat is cultivated on 31,210 hectares.

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