BERHAMPUR: After Patrapur, Chikiti block has reported death of a farmer. Abhimanyu Pradhan, a 67-year-old farmer of Parasama village, died in his paddy field on Monday, December 6, 2021. A retired head clerk with the erstwhile Southco, Abhimanyu was trying to clear storm water from the farm field when he collapsed. He was taken to Chikiti hospital where he was administered injection and put on saline. As his condition did not improve, doctors referred him to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur. He was shifted in a hospital ambulance but was declared brought dead.
Family members said, doctors did not register the death and asked them to take the body for cremation. Villagers who accompanied Abhimanyu said the hospital authorities told them that if death is registered, post mortem will have to be conducted. Since the process needs time, fearing delay for cremation the body was taken to the village in a private vehicle.
Abhimanyu’s death took the farmer death in Ganjam to two in as many days. The 67-year-old cultivated the 2.5 acre land he owned. A good portion of the crop was damaged due to water-logging following Jawad-induced rain. He was being assisted by his younger brother Suryanarayana Pradhan in the farm work. After the news of his death surfaced, the local tehsildar met the deceased’s family. However, no official staff visited the field to see the damage to the crops.
Sub Collector of Berhampur V Keerti Vasan said, Abhimanyu had a history of hypertension. However, family members of the deceased denied it and said though death is inevitable, damage to the crop was a shock for the 67-year-old. Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange said the matter will be looked into. On Sunday, Kailash Sabar (57) of Uluma village in Chikiti block had ended his life after consuming pesticide. He was a sharecropper and cultivated paddy over a patch of two acre land.