Odisha has seen two ends of the climate spectrum in a span of weeks. After reeling from a rainfall deficit, the state has found itself battling a flood, with four back-to-back intense downpours battering the state. The weather office’s forecast of an El-Niño-influenced below-normal monsoon initially held in the state. But after four straight dry weeks in June, July brought heavy rains. Till now, the state has logged 27 percent excess rains. Barring two districts, all others have entered the normal, excess and large excess categories. As a result, over 23 districts have been deluged by floods that have claimed at least six lives and affected over 8.8 lakh people. The state government has released ₹136 crore towards relief and assistance for the flood-affected.
Farming has been hit hard, with over 37,000 hectares of arable fields affected. The government’s relief package includes compensation for crop loss. Farmers are entitled to ₹8,500 a hectare for damage of unirrigated land, ₹17,000 for irrigated crops and ₹22,500 for perennial crops. While vegetable fields in the coastal regions have been ravaged, paddy cultivation, the state’s farmers’ mainstay, could be in trouble because of the continuous showers. With more rain-bearing weather systems expected, the kharif rice crop faces a serious threat during its crucial growth phase.
It is important that crop damage assessment reports from the districts are generated at the earliest so that relief can be handed out to farmers without any further delay. The shortage of fertilisers, another big worry for the farming community, must also be addressed swiftly.
It is imperative for the government to plan for similar scenarios in the future. Cultivators can deal with the impact of excess rains in July, but August and September hold the key for seasonal produce. Most flood-affected districts in Odisha are prime rice-producing regions, and a truant climate can make a heavy dent in their output. The state government, therefore, would do well to prepare a kharif contingency strategy that factors in both possible extremes. Technology must be used to map flood-prone regions, while maintaining district-level seed and fertiliser reserves as well as promoting a crop diversification plan could help the affected farmers to absorb the shock and restart their lives.