JAGATSINGHPUR: Pushed to a state of utter despair and helplessness seeing his crop wither away in the absence of rains, a farmer died in his paddy field at Parianka village under Kujang block on Monday.
The farmer Maheswar Nayak had gone to the field to check his crop in the morning. Witnessing the condition of the crop, he fell unconscious. Fellow farmers working nearby rushed to the field and took him to the Kujang hospital where the doctor declared him brought dead. Police seized the dead body and sent it for post-mortem.
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Villagers said, Maheswar had sown paddy in one acre of land taking hand loans. The sight of damaged crop due to lack of rain was too much for him to bear.“Maheswar, who was stricken by poverty, fell unconscious due to shock after finding his damaged paddy crop. The district administration should provide compensation to the family of the deceased farmer,” Sarpanch of Balia Pabitra Kumar Sethy said.
He said, lack of rain has affected paddy crops across the panchayat. The prevailing hot conditions have dried up water sources like rivers, tanks and ponds, thereby complicating the problems of farmers.
Deputy Director of Agriculture Ram Chandra Nayak said he has directed Tirtol Agriculture Officer to inquire into the incident. After he files his report, compensation will be given as per norms and conditions.
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Sources said a drought-like situation looms over Jagatsinghpur district due to scanty rainfall and drying up of water bodies. Thousands of farmers in many parts of the district are in a state of despair as paddy crops have started withering due to lack of rain.
The situation has worsened in Kujang and Erasama blocks where paddy fields, which are mostly rain-fed land, have developed cracks and crops damaged. As many as 30 panchayats in these two blocks have been severely affected.
Official sources said the district received only 60 per cent of the normal rainfall in June. Jagatsinghpur received 141.39 mm of rainfall in June against the normal of 202.03 mm. In July so far, the district has received 132 mm of rain against the normal of 277.03 mm.
Nayak said Agriculture officials have been asked to submit a detailed block-wise report on the deficit rainfall and damage to paddy crops by Tuesday.