Sambalpur/Kuchinda: A mysterious disease has caused extensive damage to standing paddy crops across 70 acres at Taensar village under Kuchinda block in this district.
Famers have lost all hopes of harvesting bumper crops this season. Infestation of crops has brought to naught efforts and hard work of farmers who had cultivated paddy by borrowing loans from money-lenders and banks.
They are a worried lot now thinking how to return the money. On learning the incident, local agricultural officer Mamata Nath reached the village and took stock of the situation. She collected damaged paddy plants and sent it for examination.
The exact disease is yet to be ascertained, Mamata said adding that necessary steps will be taken after the reason of the disease is ascertained.
Compensation was sought for affected farmers. Every year something or the other happens to farming which affects farmers, local sarpanch said.
The block had been affected by drought last year and acres of paddy were destroyed. The government had declared compensation for the affected farmers. However, no help has been extended even though one year has passed, locals said. Many farmers had hopes of harvesting a good crop and settling their dues.
‘Nirana and ‘Rito’ varieties of paddy were affected the most by this disease,’ farmers said. They asked the agriculture department to study the disease and take preventive measures. They feared that the disease might spread to neighbour villages.
The crop this season was good. However, it was damaged after the saplings failed to mature due to the unknown disease, said Aswini Senapati, an affected farmer.
Similarly, Dileswar Senapati said the unknown disease shattered his hopes of returning the loans that he had borrowed last year. “Now, I am left with accumulated loans of two years taken from money lenders,” he added.
“I am not a regular farmer but still cultivated paddy this season. However, the unknown disease has dashed my hopes,” said Ramchandra Patel. Similarly, Manoj Patel said their family would die of hunger if no government assistance is provided to them. PNN
