Bargarh: Low monsoon rain coupled with poor irrigation facility in western parts of the state has triggered a drought like situation in the district for the second consecutive year, a preliminary assessment report prepared by block and district-level monitoring committees said.
Apart from Atabira, Bheden, Bhatli and Ambavona blocks, other eight blocks were severely affected by drought, the report said, adding, farmers of 585 villages in these blocks have suffered crop loss over 27,472 hectares of farmland. They would have to face the drought again even as the wound of last year was not yet healed, farmers said.
The grim picture came to light Friday after beginning of the crop cutting procedure in the district. The process began in two villages Chandipali and Deogaon under the supervision of district agriculture deputy director Naba Kishore Dash. While just 2.19 kg of paddy was collected from the crops over a patch of five square meters in Chandipali village, the harvest was 3.5 kg in Deogaon village. The production was far below the standard amount, it was learnt. A five square meter patch should have fetched at least five kg of paddy, Dash said.
According to official sources, the block which were adversely affected by low rainfall are Barpali, Bargarh, Paikamal, Jharbandh, Padmapur, Sohela, Gaisilet and sBijepur and the last one was the worst-hit.
In Bijepur block, crops were raised in 14,056 hectares of land in 108 villages under 24 panchayats. Of them, 7,519 hectares reported extensive crop damage. The situation is similar in 127 villages of Sohela block where crops over 6,137 hectares were damaged. Though farmers of six other blocks have suffered proportionately less, they would still find it difficult to take up farming next season.
On the other hand, it was alleged that farmers don’t get drought assistance and compensation under the crop insurance scheme in time. The administration is yet to provide assistance and the insured sum for last year’s loss, Lingaraj, convener of Paschima Orissa Krushak Samanway Samiti, an farmers’ outfit of western Orissa, said.
The state government chose to remain silent despite demonstrations by the outfit during last assembly session, the convener added.
When contacted, deputy director Dash said, the loss assessment reports prepared by the block and district level monitoring committees have been sent to the government. Besides, a report after completion of crop cutting would also be sent. Based on these reports, the government would take up measures to address the issue, he added.
In the present scenario, farmers were advised to grow crops like ground nuts, mustard, green gram and black gram that require relatively less water, Das said. PNN
