ROURKELA: After eye estimation pointed at moderate to severe drought condition resulting in paddy crop loss in 67,540 hectares (ha) in the rain-fed Sundargarh district, the ongoing insurance related sample crop cutting portrays massive crop damage in some pockets.
Sample crop cutting on a plot of 25 square feet (sqft) at Bandhpali village of Mohulpali Gram Panchayat (GP) in Tangarpali block resulted in output of merely 185 grams, which means there is only 74 kg yield per ha.
Deputy Director of District Planning & monitoring Unit (DPMU) Srikanta Dalei said Kharif crop seasons comprise autumn paddy crop and winter paddy crop. Autumn crop cutting is over and 30 per cent of winter crop cutting has been completed till now.
He said the ongoing insurance related sample crop cutting is meant for insured farmers with a panchayat taken as one unit. He said the government using satellite images had prescribed two plots in each panchayat for autumn paddy, while four plots are prescribed in each panchayat for winter paddy. The winter paddy crop cutting would be over by December first week, but final reporting is allowed till end of February next year. He said after final report, insured farmers would claim compensation money as per loss.
Earlier the Government had announced relief with input subsidy to farmers of drought affected areas and insured farmers belonging to those affected areas, would get double benefits of insurance compensation as well as input subsidy.
On October 31 based on eye estimation report of the district administration the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) had notified Hemgir, Lefripara, Tangarpali, Sundargarh, Subdega, Balishankara, Bargaon and Kutra blocks as severe drought hit with above 50 per cent crop losses over 3,918 ha, 3,658 ha, 6,540 ha, 8,790 ha, 4,166 ha, 1,341 ha, 211ha and 7,364 ha respectively totalling for 35,985 ha.
These eight above mentioned blocks along with Rajgangpur, Lathikata, Kuanrmunda and Gurundia blocks and Birmitrapur Urban Local Body suffered 33 to 50 per cent crop damage over 31,554 ha.