Nayagarh: Farmers are at the receiving end of nature’s wrath with the low pressure-triggered rain affecting the crop that had earlier survived the pest onslaught.
Six blocks of the district, except Gania and Daspalla, experienced heavy rain. Bhapur block recorded 10.3 mm rain; Khandapada 8.5 mm; Nayagarh 19 mm; Nuagaon 8 mm; Odagaon 23.5 mm; and Ranpur 15.4 mm rain since Wednesday morning.
This has triggered panic among the farmers as the meteorological department has predicted more rain in coming days.
A rough estimate indicated that harvested paddy has been lying on over 5,000 hectares of farmland in the district. Paddy was cultivated in 98,034 hectare this kharif season. Varieties like 109, 1001 and masuri are lying on farmland after harvest.
Farmers are worried if the rainfall continues they will not be able to salvage their harvested paddy which will eventually get damaged. The farmers fear the water logging in farmland will result in germination of paddy. They have demanded financial assistance from the state government.
The unseasonal has come as a double whammy for farmers. Earlier, crops grown on 4,684 hectares in 157 villages of 27 panchayats in four blocks were affected by drought.
Cultivation in 5,708 hectares in Odagaon block suffered from pest attack.
The unseasonal rain has come at a time when farmers in many places have almost harvested paddy while in other places they were getting ready for harvest.
Farmers were seen looking for safe places to stock the harvested paddy.
Dayanidhi Biswal, a share-cropper of Saluni, said, “Paddy that I had grown in an acre of land is likely to get completely damaged in the unseasonal rain. The government should give special assistance to farmers.”
Charan Biswal of Kaithagadia, said, “It will be difficult on my part to feed my family as my harvested paddy remains rain-soaked.”
Anand Swain of Nayagarh said, “My eyes were filled with tears as I noticed ripe paddy in over an acre of land lying flattened. I had toiled hard to raise the crop, but the rain has dashed my hope.” PNN
