BHUBANESWAR: Prabhat Ranjan Das of Madhapur village in Bhadrak district is worried and desperate. Cyclone Dana may have weakened after landfall, but the wind speed it packed was enough to destroy not only his crops but also his dreams.
Das has cultivated paddy in 32 acre of land and the crop was in panicle and flowering stage. While the standing plants have been damaged in the impact of the wind, most of his croplands are completely waterlogged.
“Apart from my own investment, I had taken Rs 5 lakh loan to raise the crops. All the money and labour would go in waste as I do not think I can harvest anything if the water does not recede in a day or two. It looks difficult as tidal ingress has made things worse,” he rued.
Like Das, thousands of farmers stare at huge loss as the cyclone-induced rains inundated vast tracts of paddy and vegetable crops in Chandabali and Basudevpur blocks of Bhadrak district, Bahanaga, Remuna, Soro, Oupada, Khaira, Nilagiri, Basta, Baliapal, Bhogarai and Jaleswar of Balasore, Mahakalpada, Rajnagar and Aul of Kendrapara.
The rains accompanied with high speed wind for about six hours have caused extensive damage to standing paddy and vegetable crops in several coastal districts, especially in Bhadrak, Balasore and Kendrapara.
A farmer from Remuna in Balasore Harihar Mandal said, “My vegetable crops on around two acre of land have been damaged. While the tomato plants snapped in half, brinjal, cauliflower, cabbage, pointed gourd and lady’s finger plants are completely under water. Crops on more than 200 acre in our area have been destroyed.”
Though assessment is underway, official sources said, paddy crops on over 1.75 lakh acre land in more than six districts have been damaged. Not only paddy and vegetable crops, shrimp farms, freshwater fisheries and fish enclosures have also been inundated. Share-croppers have appealed to the government to provide them compensation as they are usually not considered for assistance.
An agriculture official who toured a few villages in Remuna, Balasore Sadar and Basta blocks of Balasore, said there will be at least 75 per cent crop loss in the affected areas this year.
Principal secretary Arabinda Padhee said officials have been asked to complete the damage assessment in a war footing and submit their reports by October 28.
“As per preliminary reports, the crop area likely to be affected by the cyclone is about 1,75,000 acre (69,995 ha). Eye-estimated submerged crop area is about 2,80,000 acre (1,12,310 ha). We have directed field officials to assess and enumerate the crop loss (more than 33 per cent and above), jointly with Revenue department staff under supervision of district collectors,” he said.
