Sambalpur: A shortfall of rain led to a drought like situation in some pockets of Sambalpur district. Earlier, the collector had ordered a crop cutting survey in Rairakhol, Jamankira and Rengali blocks by concerned revenue inspectors accompanied by concerned tehsildars to take stock of the situation.
There were several complaints of crop loss due to scanty rainfall in these three blocks. It was also confirmed that most of these three blocks are facing drought like condition as rainfall was 19 per cent less than average.
Speaking to Orissa POST Tuesday, collector Samarth Verma said as per the initial estimate, paddy crops in about 5700 hectares of farmland in three blocks were affected by scanty rainfall. These are mostly autumn paddy crop on highland in these three blocks where the loss assessed was more than 33 per cent, he said.
The collector has assigned nine senior officers, one each for nine blocks, to take stock of the situation. These officers are instructed to cross-check the facts submitted in the reports submitted by the tehsildars earlier. They are also instructed to study the ground reality in these blocks.
The officers were asked to submit their reports by October 20 so that he can send a comprehensive report on the actual drought situation in Sambalpur district by October 22.
The collector said the picture in the entire district is not grim as painted by media. Paddy crops mostly on highlands were damaged due to deficit rainfall, but at low-lying areas, paddy crops survived.
A source said that the grimness of the situation could be guessed as four out of the all nine blocks of the district experienced scanty rainfall this year. It said Jujumura block is the worst among all as the block experienced just 13 per cent of normal rainfall whereas the remaining three blocks Naktideul recorded 15 per cent, Rairakhol 27 per cent and Jamankira 29 per cent of the normal rainfall.
Meanwhile grievance petitions on crop loss are pouring in from various villages in the district. A joint team of village representatives from two adjacent gram panchayats Rengloi and Kinaloi in Rengali block came to meet the collector Monday as it was a grievance hearing day.
Amrut Nayak of village Rengloi told OP that some of his co-villagers are hopeless as they don’t expect any harvest from 478 hectares this season. The actual loss figure may be much more than this. They were aggrieved that no crop cutting survey was conducted in the village.
Prahallad of village Kinaloi also shared the same experience, saying 576 hectares of paddy faced crop failure in their village. PNN
