Following the overnight rainfall in the national Capital, the farmers protesting and camping at city borders witnessed waterlogged tents, soaked firewood and blankets. The continuous rainfall throughout the day also led to waterlogging at agitation venues and water also entered in the tents of the farmers.
Heavy rain lashed across the national Capital on Sunday leading to waterlogging in some parts of the city. According to a meteorological department official, the minimum temperature in the city settled at 9.9 degrees Celsius, while the maximum settled at 15.8 degrees Celsius. The humidity oscillated between 100 and 82 per cent. The Safdarjung observatory, which provides official figures for the city, recorded 14.8 mm rainfall at 5.30 pm, while the Palam weather station recorded 5.3 mm and Lodhi Road recorded 18.6 mm rainfall.
Meanwhile, the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) on Sunday said despite extreme cold conditions and heavy downpour, which has made wet and soggy clothes and bedding, the protesting farmers are in high spirits. “Farmers continue to be in high morale and are consolidating forces. All four major protest sites are being coordinated, more forces are joining in and protests in other places are continuing,” said AIKSCC.
Following the rainfall, the farmers on Sunday said they are ready to face any problem, be it heavy downpour or storm, they will not leave this place under any condition until their demands are met.
Rainwater also entered into their makeshift camps at Burari ground and the protesters were seen draining the water out and rearranging their belongings to prevent from soaking in water.
At Tikri border, Bharatiya Kisan Union Ugrahan leader Sukhdev Singh, said arrangements made by farmers to brave the cold weather are not helping much because of rains and subsequent waterlogging.
Veerpal Singh, a protesting farmer, said their blankets, clothes and wood are soaked. “Farmers clothes are soaked due to waterlogging caused by rains. Besides, we are facing difficulties to cook food as rain water has also soaked firewood. We do have an LPG cylinder but not everyone here has it,” he said.
Farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar, who is a member of Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, said farmers have waterproof tents but they cannot protect them from biting cold and waterlogging.
“The situation is very bad at protest sites due to rain which has caused waterlogging. There is so much cold after the rains, but the government is not able to see our misery,” he said.
Gurwinder Singh, who is camping at Singhu Border, said there is waterlogging at some places as civic facilities are not up to the mark but asserted that the weather will not dampen the spirit of farmers who have been protesting for over a month.
“Despite facing several problems, we will not move from here until our demands are met,” he said.
Dharmveer Yadav, who is camping at Ghazipur border protest site, said farmers will not move an inch from their agitation venues.
The MeT department has forecast cloudy sky, light to moderate rain or thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds 20-30 kmph on Monday. It also predicted possibility of hailstorm at isolated places. The maximum and minimum temperatures would be at 18 degrees and 10 degrees Celsius, respectively, on Monday, it said.
Heavy rains led to waterlogging in Pul Prahladpur Underpass, Vasant Kunj and Swami Nagar.
Talking about meeting with the Government on January 4, the AIKSCC said the success of the proposed talks depends entirely on the repeal of the three Farm Acts.
“There has been much speculation about procedures for repeal of the Acts. AIKSCC clarifies that it can be done by an Ordinance followed by a Parliamentary repeal and the Constitution provides for the Government and Parliament to make as well as repeal laws. They are neither time consuming, nor complicated. If the government has the will, it is a matter of only a day or two. The main hurdle is the political will of the BJP led NDA government. The main question is - does the government stand with corporates or the farmers?” said AIKSCC.