Bad weather took a toll on the wheat crop Peetambar Lal had planted on the five bighas of land he owns on the outskirts of his village. “The rains in the last week of February and the hailstorms damaged the crop,” he says. Last year, he harvested 40 quintals of wheat; this year, it’s down to 25. The lockdown has brought its own set of problems. Last year, after selling the wheat crop, he had Rs 7,000 in his hand after expenses, which helped fulfil most of the needs of his family during the summer season. Now, with everything shuttered, he has no money.
Peetambar, who has a daughter and two sons, says, “The government had put Rs 1,000 into my account but the money was spent on medicines for…
