Flood-hit farmers in Delhi are still waiting for relief as over 1,000 acres of crops lie destroyed. Senior AAP leader and Burari MLA Sanjeev Jha demanded that the BJP government follow the Arvind Kejriwal government’s model and provide ₹20,000 per acre compensation immediately to the affected farmers. The AAP MLA highlighted that despite writing to the Chief Minister and Lieutenant Governor (LG), no response has been received, and not a single BJP minister has visited the flood-hit farmers.
At a press conference held at the AAP headquarters on Wednesday, senior AAP leader and Burari MLA Sanjeev Jha said that this season’s rain and flooding had submerged the entire city of Delhi, leaving behind widespread devastation. “It has been almost one and a half months since the floods, and farmers’ crops have been completely destroyed. In several areas, waterlogging continues, yet no one has come forward to listen to the plight of Delhi’s farmers. From Bawana to Mundka, crops spread across more than 1,000 acres have been ruined by floodwaters. No government representative has met the farmers so far. The poor farmers don’t even know whom to approach to raise their concerns,” he said.
The AAP MLA reminded that during the Delhi elections, the BJP had promised that with a ‘double-engine government’—one at the Centre and one in Delhi—work would move swiftly. “But the more BJP’s engines have been installed, the more the problems of Delhiites have increased. Despite having BJP MPs, MLAs, and councillors, no one is looking after the farmers,” he added.
Sanjeev Jha noted, “During the AAP government’s tenure, farmers affected by floods were compensated at ₹20,000 per acre. The AAP government organized camps and disbursed compensation directly to farmers at village gatherings, later transferring the funds straight into their bank accounts. The same model was followed in Punjab, where the AAP government immediately compensated farmers after floods—something that had never happened before in history.”
He said that under the AAP government, immediate relief was provided to agricultural labourers as soon as floods occurred, followed by compensation for farmers. “But today, the situation is completely the opposite. After the floods, I wrote to CM Rekha Gupta and the Lieutenant Governor (LG) demanding the release of a relief fund to compensate for flood and rain damages, as was done under the Kejriwal government. However, till date, there has been no response to my letter. Neither any BJP minister, nor the Chief Minister, nor any party leader has met the farmers. They have been left to suffer on their own,” he said.
Urging the CM to act immediately, Sanjeev Jha added, “Farmers grow the crops that bring food to our homes. They must not be left to fend for themselves. Like the Arvind Kejriwal government did, they should be given at least ₹20,000 per acre in compensation. Given inflation, the amount should ideally be higher, but they should get at least that much. The government should reach out to the farmers immediately so they feel that someone is listening—that their government stands with them.”
During the press conference, farmer leader Ashok Nain also expressed deep concern over the devastation faced by Delhi’s farmers. “The crops have suffered massive damage. Two harvests have already been lost. The first crop was completely destroyed, and now it’s time to sow the next one, but thousands of acres of farmland are still waterlogged, making it impossible to plant anything. When the Aam Aadmi Party was in government, Arvind Kejriwal made history by personally ensuring that farmers received ₹20,000 per acre in compensation—distributed at their homes and village gatherings. When crops failed again a year later, the money was transferred directly to their bank accounts,” he said.
Ashok Nain added that it has now been nearly two months since the heavy rainfall, but there has been “no one to place a hand on the farmer’s heart.” “Thousands of acres are still submerged. From the chairman and councillors to MPs, ministers, MLAs, and CM Rekha Gupta—all belong to the BJP. Yet, not one of them has listened to the pain of the farmers. Farmers are crying out in distress. The BJP government must increase compensation. AAP had given ₹20,000 per acre; considering today’s inflation, the government should provide at least ₹50,000 per acre for crop loss so that farmers can recover. But this government is choosing to completely ignore them,” Ashok Nain said.
