JAJPUR: Heavy rains and the subsequent floods in Baitarani, Budha, Brahmani and Kharasrota rivers have caused widespread damage to vegetable crops in several blocks of the district. Vegetable crops over vast tracts of land in Rasulpur, Dharmasala, Jajpur, Bari and Badachana blocks have been damaged due to the excess rain and the deluge. The worst-hit are seasonal crops like brinjal, bitter gourd, cucumber, ridge gourd, okra, snake gourd, beans, green chili and pointed gourd.
Digambar Rout, a vegetable grower of Gangadharpur in Dharmasala, said he cultivated brinjal, bitter gourd and cucumber in his farmland near the bank of Brahmani river. The floodwater of Brahmani entered my agriculture land four days back. As the fields are still submerged in floodwater, the vegetable crops have started to rot.“Every year, we face crop loss due to floods. But the administration is yet to take any concrete steps to address this issue despite repeated requests by farmers,” he alleged.
Similar is the situation of vegetable farmers in Bari, Rasulpur, Binjharpur and Jajpur. Their crops have suffered extensive damage due to floods in Brahmani, Budha, Kharasrota and Baitarani rivers. Besides, paddy crops over thousands of hectares of land have been completely submerged in floodwater.
Sources in the district agriculture office said a survey will be carried out to assess the crop damage. After the report is submitted to the government, the affected farmers will be compensated.