JEYPORE: As rainfall subsided in flood-affected Kotpad block in Koraput district, the crop damage reports start pouring in from different panchayats on Saturday. Around 3,000 acres of paddy fields have been damaged in the block. Though no rainfall was recorded in the past two days, the flood water is still running in agriculture fields and crops are under knee-deep water damaging the paddy saplings.
In some patches, sand cast covered the paddy chunks totally and farmers started draining out water from their croplands to save it from further damage. Farmers of Perinjia, Sadaranga, Sutipadar, Girila, Gumunda, Damnahandi, Guali, Asona and Chandili areas said the recent flood in Indravati river and its tributaries has damaged several acres of paddy fields.
They fear that crops would not survive due to sand cast and floodwater in the agriculture fields. “We are worried that there would be little chance for survival of paddy plants,” said Sukria Pradhan, a farmer of Kotpad village. Meanwhile, the district administration has started a damage assessment survey in Kotpad by engaging Revenue Inspectors (RIs) and agriculture officials.
Jeypore Sub-Collector L N Dalabehera said affected farmers would get relief after the survey. Koraput Collector M S Mishra has directed the revenue and agriculture officials to speed up the survey for granting further relief measures.