Shimla, Aug 3 (PTI) With roads and bridges damaged after heavy rains and landslides last week, over 1,500 farmers in Lahaul-Spiti's Udaipur are a worried lot as they are not be able to take their crops to ''mandis'' this year.

Farmers urged the district administration to repair roads or at least build ''kutcha'' roads to facilitate the movement of vehicles.

At least seven people were killed, two injured and three missing in flash floods, triggered by a cloudburst over Tozing Nullah in Udaipur on July 27.

Tonnes of ripe peas, cauliflowers, broccoli, iceberg lettuce and lilium flowers are being destroyed every day as farmers are unable to take them to ''mandis'' after roads were damaged due to the cloudburst, said Bir Bahadur Singh, a farmer and the "Kardar" (main trustee) of Trilokinath Temple.

Udaipur farmers sell their crops in Bandrol, Manali, Bhuntar and Takoli in the state and in ''mandis'' of Punjab, Chandigarh and Delhi, either directly or indirectly through farm traders, he said.

The situation is so grave that a Keylong farm trader, Suresh Bodh Chokhangwa, went live on Facebook on Monday to throw cauliflower loaded in a truck into a gorge at Udaipur as he was unable to take the crop to a “mandi”.

Woman farmer Bhim Dasi urged the administration with folded hands to repair the roads so that farmers can take their crops to ''mandis''.

Another farmer, Chudu Ram, told PTI that they will die of starvation in winters if their crops do not reach ''mandis''.

If the administration cannot repair the roads immediately, it should at least construct ''kutcha'' roads so that trolleys and other vehicles could ply, he said.

However, state Technical Education Minister and Lahaul-Spiti MLA Ram Lal Markanda dismissed the temple trustee's claims of ripe crops getting destroyed.

"The temple ''kardar'' is a local Congress leader and is levelling baseless allegations of ripe crops getting destroyed," he said.

When told that several other farmers, too, have expressed concern over the situation, Markanda said, the priority was to rescue stranded people.

As many as 372 stranded people have been rescued in the past six days, he said, adding that 19 of them were airlifted by a helicopter to safer places.

"I am also worried about farmers of my area as I know that they grow only one crop a year. I am visiting the affected areas of my constituency instead of attending the ongoing monsoon session of the state Assembly to redress their grievances," he added.

Markanda said six bridges were damaged due to heavy rains and efforts are being made to restore vehicular traffic in the next two days.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur in the Assembly announced a financial aid of Rs 10 crore from his disaster management fund for restoration of roads, drinking water and power facilities at the earliest in Udaipur subdivision.

Admitting that the roads have been damaged due to which farmers and traders are currently unable to take their crops to the “mandis”, he said the state government acted swiftly to rescue the stranded persons.

The CM said he had himself visited the affected areas on July 31 to take first hand stock of the situation.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)