Balikuda: In a tragic incident, a vegetable farmer met watery grave while he was trying to draw water from a river to irrigate his farmland at Khadikadanda (Bahakand) village under Anantapur police outpost here in Jagatsinghpur district Saturday. He was identified as Biswajit Behera (32) alias Tima.
Sources said, Tima had gone to work at his farm after breakfast. Later, he tried to draw water from Dangatar river that passes through the village to irrigate his land. Accidentally, his feet slipped and he fell into the water. Failing to swim back to shore, Tima drowned, locals said.
Other farmhands working in the field grew apprehensive after Tima did not return from the river. They searched for him and later fished out his body from the river.
Assuming he was alive, villagers rushed him to Balikuda community health centre (CHC). However, doctors in the CHC declared him brought dead. A case of unnatural death was registered and the body was sent for autopsy.
The incident brought a pall of gloom in the village as Tima is survived by his widowed wife, elderly parents and an infant boy. Tima made both ends meet by growing vegetables. Locals sympathised with his family and demanded necessary compensation for the bereaved family.
PNN
