Bhubaneswar: Paddy farmers in state may face hard times if the heavy rainfall predictions issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) here Saturday come true.
The Met department has predicted heavy rain in many parts of the state between December 7 and 9.
“The present climatic condition indicates that rainfall will occur in southern district and coastal Orissa for three days. Normal rainfall will occur December 7, while the state will experience heavy rainfall in the next two days,” said Bhubaneswar Met Centre’s director Sarat Chandra Sahu.
This prediction has added to the worries of the farmers, who had faced crop loss due to drought, pest attack and subsequent rainfall during the khariff season.
Asked about the impact of cyclonic storm Ockhi, Sahu said, “There is no impact of the cyclone on Orissa. However, the temperature will dip slightly.”
As the crop cutting season is going on in all paddy cultivating districts, especially in the south, IMD’s prediction has panicked the farmers in anticipation of heavy loss.
When contacted, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi said, “We have no information of the IMD’s prediction about rainfall so far. In case of such prediction, we will take precautionary measures.”
Due to heavy rainfall between November 15 and 20 this year, crops in 4,07,100 hectares in 14, 720 villages under 2,460 panchayats of 133 blocks and 257 wards of 38 urban local bodies (ULBs) in 19 districts were affected.
Following this, the government had released Rs 364.76 crore towards agriculture input subsidy to the affected farmers.
Ockhi: 6 fishermen dead, 102 untraced
Thiruvananthapuram: The bodies of four Kerala fishermen were recovered Saturday, taking the toll to six so far in the aftermath of Cyclone Ockhi, while there is no word about 102 fishermen from the state who ventured into the sea. The bodies were found as part of rescue operations launched by the Indian Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard after Cyclone Ockhi hit the southern districts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. While the identity of one of the dead has been found, the other three bodies brought to the shores Saturday were in a decomposed stage and identification became difficult. According to official figures, 37 fishermen from Kerala were rescued in the joint operations, while some others returned on their own. By Saturday evening, the total number of fishermen who had returned stood at 450, while there is no word about 102 from the state who continue to be missing. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the media that `10 lakh each would be given to the families of the dead fishermen and `20,000 each to those injured, while those who have lost their fishing gear and other equipment would be compensated. Thiruvananthapuram?collector S Vasuki told reporters 102 fishermen from Kerala cannot be termed as ‘‘missing’’. ‘‘These fishermen had gone to the sea. They are yet to reach home.’’
PNN
