9 Tips For Protecting Crops from Heavy Rains

A mere 20 years ago, there was only one insurance provider in the entire country, but a lot has changed since then. Today, there are 57 public and private companies that provide insurance products in two categories — life insurance and non-life insurance. In the past decade alone, this sector has grown exponentially and, according to projections, will continue to do so.

Despite this growth, in absolute numbers, more than 75% of the country’s population does not have insurance of any kind at all. Statistically, you, dear reader, are one of them. Either you couldn’t afford it when you wanted it or you do want it and just never got around to it. Whatever the reason, here are the 4 reasons why insurance is the best gift you can give yourself in 2020

1) Unexpected shocks = financial instability

Imagine that you just started a new job in a new city a few months ago. Your first few paychecks went towards getting the house and your routine settled. You just became debt-free when disaster strikes. You fractured your leg while playing football with friends or (insert inconvenient situation of choice here). Now that paycheck you were looking forward to is going towards paying for whatever terrible thing happened and, chances are, even that wasn’t enough.

When we’re faced with situations that we didn’t foresee and didn’t have money saved up for, we end up breaking the bank to cope. The financial instability that results from this can follow us for years even, depending on the severity of the incident. Insurance allows you to cushion the blow to your finances so a single event doesn’t overpower you.

2) Minimize the damage to your account balance

Let’s extend this example further. Now that something bad has happened, someone has to fix what’s broken. Insurance essentially compensates parties for losses. In the case of the broken leg, what you would end up paying out of pocket is far more than that what you would pay as premium for your insurance. So if you’re going to pay, you might as well pay less.

3) Insurance is a way of achieving financial health

It’s going to get a little technical but hang in there! So, legally, medical insurance premiums up to ₹25,000 for yourself and your family (spouse and children) and up to ₹25,000 for your parents can be claimed as a tax-saving deduction when filing your income tax. For life insurance, you can claim up to ₹1.5 lakh. You’re basically getting back money that you’d said goodbye to forever. Also, when you apply for loans, you have your insurance company vouching for you and assuring that the lender will be paid in case you cannot due to an event you’re insured for, making the lender more likely to approve your loan.

4) Every day you go without getting insurance is going to cost you… literally!

No matter what kind of insurance policy you take out, the issuing company does a thorough check on you to make sure the risk they’re taking on any individual isn’t more than it should be. This is especially pertinent for medical and life insurance. As you get older, the risk of insuring you increases, hence the premium on your insurance increases too. The same insurance policy you would get in February next year would be a fair amount more expensive than the one you could get today because you’ve aged a year. If you wait too long to insure yourself, the cost of your policy will be highest at the time when you’re most physically vulnerable.

Insurance is a truly important investment for your future. Out of all the players in the market, SBI General Insurance has one of the most comprehensive and affordable sets of offerings. Health insurance from SBI General has coverage from the most minor ailments to major injuries while bearing in mind the financial situation of the average Indian. Our motor insurance for a wide range of vehicles is perfect for weathering out the inevitable fender benders and scratches that are part of hitting the road. And our travel insurance is a must when going on vacation, with 24/7 support, worldwide protection and simple settlement for claims.

Why you should be getting your insurance through ZestMoney EMI:

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You can sign up for this directly at the time of checkout by choosing ZestMoney EMI under payment options or you can sign up through the ZestMoney website or app. All you have to do is enter your personal and employment details, complete the KYC and set up your auto-repayment; you’ll have access to your credit limit with ZestMoney in under 10 minutes. ZestMoney is partnered with thousands of vendors, like Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra and many more, so you’ll be able to use your credit limit everywhere that matters, starting with your first insurance policy.

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Rainfall is the most effective and natural means of watering crops. Indian agriculture is predominantly dependent on the monsoon season. However, excessive rainfall can pose a significant threat to the health and productivity of crops. From waterlogging to soil erosion, heavy rain can damage the soil, drown the roots, and give rise to crop diseases. If you are looking to resolve this issue, you can adopt various effective strategies. Read on to discover tips for protecting crops from heavy rains.

How to protect crops from heavy rains?

Listed below are some crop protecting tips in heavy rain to ensure a bountiful harvest:

1. Apply organic mulch

   Soil erosion is a drastic repercussion of heavy rains, which affects the roots of the crops and can lead to severe damage. Mulching is an effective strategy of rainfall defence for crops to help stop soil erosion. You can get organic mulch and spread a layer of 1-2 inches around the crops. Organic materials include dried leaves, wood chips, straw, and so on. Mulch keeps the soil moist, controls temperature, and prevents soil and root damage during adverse weather conditions.

2. Try contour farming

   Contour farming involves raising planting beds and shaping your field in curves or slopes. Raised beds are elevated rows of soil created in the field. They are generally higher than the ground level, which creates a barrier against rainwater runoff. When it rains heavily, the excess water tends to flow around the raised beds instead of directly into the plants. As a result, waterlogging is prevented. Shaping the field also has the same effect as it slows down the water flow during heavy rains, preventing it from rushing down and causing soil erosion.

3. Improve drainage

   Setting up a well-regulated drainage system before the monsoon season helps avoid the adverse effects of excessive rainfall. During heavy rains, excess water can accumulate in the fields, which saturates the soil and suffocates the plant roots. By enhancing drainage, you can create channels or ditches to divert water away from the fields. You can also install drain tiles and pipes, incorporate organic matter, and grade the land to create a drainage system.

4. Implement crop rotation

   Crop rotation pertains to growing different crops in a planned sequence on the same piece of land over time. Doing so improves the soil structure, which improves its strength to withstand the harsh force of heavy rains. You can plant crops like legumes and grains with deep roots, along with other crops, to strengthen the soil. By diversifying crops, you can also break the cycle of pests and diseases that tend to thrive in wet conditions.

5. Strategise cultivation

   You can consider the arrival of the monsoon season and adjust the planting/sowing schedule of crops accordingly. Strategically cultivating in this manner enables the crops to develop robust roots. As a result, their ability to absorb water and nutrients is enhanced. Additionally, the crops become well-established and better equipped to withstand heavy rains. Timing crop cultivation is one of the most effective crop protection ideas in heavy rain.

6. Build adequate support

   During heavy rainfall, crops with large leaves and bearings can become heavy and susceptible to falling or breaking under the weight of the water. By providing adequate support, you can ensure the plants remain upright and stable. You can stake plants with stems with a string or twist-ties to build support. Staking is helpful in all weather conditions to prevent the plant from bending and ensuring it gets proper sunlight exposure.

7. Cover the crops

   Covering the crops with materials such as row covers, netting, plastic sheets, tarps, and so on helps prevent the rainwater from directly hitting the plants. As a result, the impact of heavy raindrops on the leaves and the crops becomes preventable. Covers also provide protection against wind, which further protects the crops from physical damage. In essence, covering the crops is the simplest technique for shielding plants against heavy downpour.

8. Use windbreakers

   Windbreakers are meant to protect plants from strong winds during rainfall. They essentially act as barriers that reduce the impact of winds. You can create natural windbreakers by using trees, bushes, shrubs, and other vegetation. You can plant them around the perimeter of the field or in between the rows of crops. Creating a sheltered zone with windbreakers deflects the wind and prevents physical damage to crops.

9. Plan regular inspection of the field condition

   Regular inspection becomes a natural part of farming. But if you are expecting the onset of the monsoon, you want to become extra cautious. Conduct inspections to identify signs of damage, diseases, and other water-related issues. By keeping a close eye on the field before, during, and after heavy rains, you can detect areas prone to waterlogging, adjust irrigation practices, and clear water drainage if necessary.

Protect crops with Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)

Implementing the above-mentioned crop protection tips helps you mitigate the risks associated with heavy rainfall. The key is to proactively take the effective steps before the weather conditions worsen for a successful harvest with minimal to no loss. Besides investing time and effort in taking crop protection measures, you can also secure your crops with the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana . It is a government insurance scheme that covers your crops against the risk of adverse weather conditions and unexpected perils.

To keep the coronavirus at bay, your car needs to be properly disinfected during the pandemic. This is because there are a lot of common surfaces that the driver and the passengers touch in a car. If you happen to carpool or travel with friends, you will want to disinfect even more often. This might make you wonder how to disinfect car interiors properly. Is it sufficient to only use water and a clean cloth? To answer such questions, here is how you can clean your car properly during the pandemic.

How to sanitize car at home?

• Get the right cleansing liquid

  When you ask anyone how to disinfect car at home, many would tell you to just use water and regular cloth. However, regular water is not sufficient for disinfecting your car during the pandemic. You would need an alcohol–based disinfectant such as isopropyl alcohol to clean your car. Isopropyl alcohol can be used on most of the hard surfaces inside your car except leather–wrapped interiors like leather seats.

• Use the right cloth for cleaning

  Get a microfiber cloth for thoroughly cleaning your car. The microfiber cloth contains nylon which is a good conductor of static electricity. Hence, the microfiber cloth traps the dust and dirt particles present in your car like a magnet. The other advantage of using a microfiber cloth is that it lasts longer as compared to other fabrics and is quite easy to wash too.

• Begin by removing the dust in your car

  Being an enclosed space, car cabins tend to accumulate quite a bit of dirt over time. It is crucial for you to first remove all the dirt present in your car before you can start disinfecting the same. You can use a normal cloth or a car vacuum cleaner to do the job.

• Clean common surfaces thoroughly

  After you are done removing all the dirt from your car’s cabin, it is now time to disinfect your ride. There are many common surfaces in your car cabin, such as the steering wheel, dashboard, seatbelt, car seats, armrests, touch screens, seat adjustment buttons, etc. Clean all such commonly touched surfaces by making use of the isopropyl alcohol–based disinfectant and the microfiber cloth. You must repeat this process every few days if you use your car regularly. However, do keep in mind that if your car interior surfaces are laced with leather, repeated use of alcohol solutions for cleaning can cause discoloration to the fabric. So, you can use a microfiber cloth, soap, and water to clean such leather surfaces.

• Clean the HVAC system in your car

  Covid–19 is a disease that directly affects the lungs of infected people. The infection begins when a person inhales the virus–carrying water droplets in the environment. Hence, it is a good idea to thoroughly clean the AC system of your car. You can either do this on your own or have professionals do the cleaning for you.

We hope these tips have shown you how to disinfect car in coronavirus pandemic times. As a motorist, remember to keep your car insurance renewed every year to drive in accordance with the laws in the country.

Disclaimer: The above information is indicative in nature. For more details on the risk factor, terms and conditions, please refer to the Sales Brochure and Policy Wordings carefully before concluding a sale.

Sunshine is happiness, rain is invigorating, the breeze braces us, and snow is euphoric. There is really no such thing as bad weather. The monsoons are finally here and that means that rain clouds have floated in, to make us calm, cheerful and hopeful.

Although monsoon means that most of the country is soaked in water and the trekking routes are closed, there are several monsoon routes for the avid trekkers to quench their thirst for adventures. If you fall in this distinct category of people and want to enjoy some quality trekking amidst the greenery, here are the top 5 treks that you can embark on even in the monsoon:

1. Pin Parvati Trek, Himachal Pradesh

An ideal trans-Himalayan Trek for occasional trekkers, Pin Parvati Trek stuns a trekker with its brilliance forcing the trekker to disregard the difficulties he is faced with. It is nearly 100 kilometres of trail that presents enchanting exquisiteness of the surrounding landscape. The course of the trek is through the dark woods of the Great Himalayan National Park.

2. Chopta Chandrashila Trek, Uttarakhand

This is a moderate trek which begins in the exquisite region of Deoriatal. Chopta Chandrashila includes exploration of two of the most beautiful mountain peaks in Uttarakhand - Chopta and Chandrashila. From Deoriatal, the trekker needs to reach Chopta. The course incorporates the captivating sights of snow-leaden pinnacles, brilliant streams, lavish woods, and so on. Further, the trek moves to Tungnath from where a trekker moves towards Chandrashila Peak and runs over the embodiments of nature's magnificence. The most noteworthy height in the course is 3,600 meters.

3. Sinhagad Trek, Maharashtra

Maharashtra is one of the most beautiful spots to visit during the rains. It would be a transgression for someone to pass up the Sinhagad Trek. The trek course is well known particularly among Pune's young populace, who like to venture out on weekends. The moderate trek drives trekkers to the delightful seventeenth century Sinhagad Fort, which is at an elevation of 4,320 feet and situated just 30 kms from the city. During monsoons, the one-day trek offers amazing sceneries of rain soaked, lavish green landscapes through the entire trek.

4. Hampta Pass – Chandra Taal Trek, Himachal Pradesh

Trek through the blinding white snowclad mountain peaks in the lap of Himachal Pradesh as you trek through truly amazing green knolls with sheep traversing through it. Beginning from Jobra towards the serene waters of the Chandra Taal Lake to find the tranquil water streams that you have to cross through. They are said to be a view not only for your eyes, but your soul as well. Varying from moderate to a challenging climb for most, the Hampta Pass trek is a flat out delight during the monsoons for any avid trekkie. climbing from an altitude of 9,800 feet at Jobra, you’ll be reaching the highest point of 14,035 feet at the Hampta Pass. Situated to the south-east of Manali, it promises to be a beautiful experience for any trekker.

5. Mullayanagiri Trek, Chikamagalur, Karnataka

Discover the highest peak in Karnataka with this trail in Chikamagalur. Approximately 250 Kms from Bangalore, Chikamagalur has been an easy getaway for people with just weekends to spare. With beautiful winged creatures, big and small, keeping you company, you can wind your way along the blossom loaded trail. Make sure to watch out for different Nandi idols en route. We are almost certain you will recognize the shrouded caverns in the midst of these green cliffs.

So, get ready with your backpack and your rain gear for some adventure treks, with the monsoon playing host, and witness the wonder of nature.

Disclaimer – The information provided on this site is for the purpose of providing general information to the readers. SBI General will not be liable for any direct or indirect loss arising from the use of the information and the material contained on this website.