Floodwater Enters Asia's Largest Sugar Mill In Haryana, Causes Rs 50 Crore Loss

Heavy overnight rain in Haryana caused flooding inside the Saraswati sugar mill in Yamunagar - Asia's largest compound, damaging sugar worth Rs 50 to 60 crore. According to officials, the total loss of sugar is believed to be around 40 per cent.

The Yamunagar warehouse stored 2,20,000 quintals of sugar, estimated to be around Rs 97 crore.

Officials of the warehouse said that rainwater, along with the overflow from a nearby drain, caused the flooding. The general manager of the Saraswati sugar mill, Rajiv Mishra, said the municipal corporation drain passes from right behind the warehouse. However, the drain was blocked due to an encroachment, causing the floodwater to enter the sugar mill.

"It rained extremely heavy last night. Our security staff alerted us around midnight about water entering the premises. Due to the encroachment, the drain's level rose. Sugar, being highly hygroscopic in nature, was highly affected. We have lost around Rs 50 to 60 crore worth of sugar. But we can estimate the exact loss once we scan the entire warehouse," Mr Mishra said.

According to Mr Mishra, this is the first time ever that the mill was flooded.

"We have never dealt with something like this before," he said.

Officials are now engaged in clearing the water at the mill using a crane.

While the Saraswati sugar mill has been hit with a huge financial loss, it may not affect the local markets at large, Mr Mishra said.

Experts, on the other hand, believe that if such kind of negligence by top officials continues, then it can become a big challenge not only financially but also at the level of food scarcity.