BHUBANESWAR: As fear of flood looms large in several districts with water flowing over danger level and rivers inundating farmlands, farmers are fearing crop loss.The State is experiencing incessant rainfall since Tuesday due to back to back low pressure over the Bay of Bengal and six districts have received more than 100 mm rainfall during the last 24 hours causing water logging.With official report on crop damage yet to arrive, official sources said vast stretches of agricultural land in Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Cuttack, Subarnapur and Boudh are under flood water. It will be difficult to save kharif crops, mostly paddy, under submergence of flood water if the situation does not improve, sources said.
Agriculture department officials said a clear picture on crop situation will be available only after getting district wise reports. Agricultural activities like transplanting, intercultural operations and sowing of non-paddy crops like pulses, oilseeds, cotton, vegetables and spices have been affected.Claiming that thousands of hectares of standing crops are under flood water, leader of Opposition Pradip Naik urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to direct departments concerned to immediately drain out water from water logged areas.
Naik said the recent floods in Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts have caused extensive damage to standing crops in the two districts. He demanded assessment of crop damage to pay compensation to farmers for taking up farm activities immediately after the water recedes.