BHUBANESWAR/BHAWANIPATNA: At least 1,500 acre standing paddy crop and thousands of bags of paddy lying in mandis were damaged in incessant rain in Kalahandi and Koraputdistricts even as flood water started receding on Saturday, government authorities said here on Saturday.
"Preliminary assessment suggests standing paddy crop was severely hit in the two districts. Harvested paddy is lying in the open in mandis, mainly in Kalahandi, and 500 houses in different districts were also damaged," revenue and disaster management minister S N Patro told TOI.
Sources said the paddy stock waiting procurement had germinated in various mandis of Kalampur, Junagarh and Dharmagarh areas of Kalahandi. Above 4,000 quintals paddy had sprouted in over 15 mandis in the district. Farmers alleged that lack of sheds and delay in procurement had ruined their entire crop. Similarly, standing crop was washed away in several localities. "While my standing crop in 4.5 acre of paddy was swept away, produce in the rest 3 acre was spoiled in the mandis," said Mahendra Meher, a farmer of Matigaon village under Junagarh block.
Kalahandi collector Govinda Chandra Sethi said the extent of loss is being assessed. "After stopping procurement for two days due to heavy rain, millers have started lifting paddy from the mandis again," he said. Around 2.76 tonnes of Rabi paddy was produced in the Indravati irrigated area. According to official sources, only 93,996 quintals of paddy from 1,622 farmers were bought before heavy rainfall while the rest lie in the mandis.
The minister said due to heavy rain on June 13 and June 14, normal life was affected in Kalahandi, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Gajapati and Rayagada districts. The situation improved on Saturday with no fresh rainfall.
Water level in Hati and Vansadhara rivers, which flowed above the danger mark on Friday, receded on Saturday. Vansadhara had swelled to at 54.91 metre, up from the danger mark of 54.6 m, at Kashinagar in Gajapati district on Friday. The level has come down to 53.58 metre, the minister said. Besides Nabarangpur and Borigumma highway, which was disconnected due to rain has been restored, the minister said. Nagabali bridge in Rayagada district, which was affected, has also been repaired, he added. "We have asked the district collectors to remain alert. There is no report of any loss of life or injury to anyone due to the flood. The exact property damage is being assessed as per the relief code," the minister said.
Special relief commissioner Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra said the situation has become normal. "Rain water has receded. We are keeping a close watch ," Mohapatra said.
No comments:
Post a Comment