JEYPORE: Incessant rainfall over the last 15 days has brought kharif cultivation to a grinding halt across Koraput district. Over 5,000 hectare of paddy fields, especially in Jeypore sub-division, are submerged, dealing a blow to farmers.
Rains which began lashing the district in the last week of June continued till Monday evening, disrupting agricultural activities at a critical time. Heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of Indiravati and Kolab rivers led to inundation of farmland in Jeypore, Kundra, Borigumma, and Kotpad blocks.
In Kotpad block alone, cultivation in panchayats like Sadaranga, Guali, Girla, Gumandi, Dhamanhandi, and Chandili has been completely stalled, with hundreds of acres of land waterlogged. “The continuous rains for the last two weeks have completely submerged our fields. We can not do anything, not even sow seeds for kharif season. We had not seen such heavy and persistent rains in over a decade,” said Sukria Pradhan, leader of the Kotpad Krushak Samaj.
Flood fears loom large with water levels of Indiravati and Kolab rivers reaching danger marks in several areas of Kotpad, Jeypore, and Borigumma. In response, the Koraput district administration has alerted block and revenue officials in vulnerable areas and has opened emergency helplines for residents.
At least 200 mud houses across inaccessible areas like Dasmantpur, Laxmipur, Nandapur, Lamtaput, Potangi, Semiliguda, Boipariguda, Kundra, and Borigumma have been damaged due to the continuous downpour.
Block officials are struggling to carry out damage assessments because of the persistent rain. An official from district emergency office said teams across various blocks and municipalities have been instructed to compile and submit damage reports as soon as they receive field inputs.
“So far, we have received 12 cases of house damage,” the official added.