BERHAMPUR: Even as Ganjam farmers struggle to salvage their crops washed away by floodwaters following cyclone Arnab, the threat of another spell of heavy rainfall under the influence of Murasu has deepened their anxiety, raising fears of further agricultural losses.
Yet to recover from the massive damage caused by Arnab, farmers now face a double whammy as cyclone Murasu threatens the region. “Standing paddy crops on around 10 acre of my land have been submerged in floodwater, which is yet to recede. Another spell of heavy rain will cause the roots to rot, particularly as the crop is now at the milking stage,” said Sameer Kumar Pradhan, a farmer from Takarada in Sheragada block.
Similarly, Sunil Ratha of Baiganabadi village under Kukudakhandi block has been struggling to drain stagnant water from his fields to save his standing paddy. But the fresh weather warning has left him worried about the prospects of recovery.
Rabindra Mishra, a farmer from Samantiapalli under Patrapur block, fears that another spell of rain could leave paddy growers in dire straits. “If Ganjam receives fresh rainfall under the influence of cyclone Murasu, the entire paddy crop will be destroyed,” he said.
Weather experts have forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in southern Odisha, particularly Ganjam and Gajapati districts from Monday to Wednesday as Murasu is likely to make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast on Tuesday night.
Chief district agriculture officer Manoranjan Roul said the administration was preparing to assess crop losses caused by cyclone Arnab when the India Meteorological Department issued another warning of heavy rainfall. “We have planned to undertake the assessment after the weather clears,” he said.