Paharpur Village: It's better late than never: That's the monsoon story of 2009!
After rain-starved months, the farmers are thanking the Almighty for the last three weeks of heavy showers.
We had met farmer Krishen Ashray two months ago when his crops were dead. On the brink of starvation, he was working as a daily-wage labourer. But after a lull, the late revival in monsoon has brought him back on his small field.
''The rains have come as a relief. The crop will grow and we will have something to survive on for the rest of the year, even if it's not enough to sell in the market,'' Ashray said.
On the other hand, big farmers like Virender Singh have bigger dreams.
''The rainfall has increased water level in the canal. We can draw water with the pump. Even if it doesn't rain in the next two weeks, we can easily irrigate our fields,'' Singh said.
So, there's good news all around for the farmers. Not only have they managed to save a sizeable chunk of their Kharif crop, but there is enough moisture both in the ground and the air for them to be able to plant their Rabi crop in the coming few months.