BATHINDA, Sept. 7 -- As the first picking of cotton commenced in parts of Punjab, the ongoing rainy season, unfriendly to the key kharif crop, has left the farmers worried about economic losses. According to information gathered from the region, more than 20,000 acres of land under the 'white gold' cultivation is adversely impacted by waterlogging. Wet climatic conditions have exposed the crop to fungal attack, while infestation of the deadly pink bollworm is also looming large as the crop advances towards mass harvest. Agriculture officials said that there was hope of a good harvest until the rains lashed the region, denting the chances of reviving the traditional crop in the dry Malwa belt. The area under the cotton has been steadily decreasing due to repeated crop failures since 2022 due to various reasons, including pest attacks, lack of irrigation support and inclement weather. Official information revealed that Mansa has been the worst rain-hit district with more than 13,500 acres under cotton affected. In Fazilka, 6,400 acres of cotton fields have been completely damaged due to waterlogging. whereas the other areas in the Abohar region of the district are also apprehensive about crop loss due to rain in the arid belt. Mansa chief agriculture officer (CAO) Harpreet Kaur said that the agriculture department was expecting a good season in the entire state, as the successful implementation of the standard operating procedure (SOP) to contain threats of various pests, including the pink bollworm (PBW), and favourable climatic conditions. "But repeated rains in the last week have impacted the cotton crop. Our field teams are advising farmers on damage control, which is in the advanced stage of harvesting," Kaur said. She said that draining out water from the fields may give a breather only if there are no fresh showers at this crucial juncture. Cotton grower Jasdeep Singh said that fewer incidents of pest attacks in the crucial initial phase of the crop brought a sigh of relief to farmers, as it has reduced expenditure on insecticides and pesticides. "But rains are posing a serious threat to the crop," he added. Abohar agriculture officer, Parminder Singh Dhanju, said that cotton over 6,400 acres in Saidanwali, Khuian Sarwar, Alamgarh, Diwan Khera, and other adjoining areas have been damaged. "Heavy rainfall that hit the area on August 4 waterlogged the semi-sandy fields, which led to the death of plants," added Dhanju....