Odisha announces ‘unseasonal rainfall’ as a State-Specific Disaster

The Odisha government declared unseasonal rainfall a State-Specific Disaster on Thursday. This decision, sanctioned by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, enables the affected farmers to access support from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).

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According to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) sources, up to 10 per cent of the SDRF's annual allocation can now be used to address damages caused by such weather events.

In December last year, approximately 22,791 hectares of crops were devastated due to incessant rains, affecting around 6,66,000 farmers across the State. In response to this calamity, the Chief Minister had previously disbursed Rs 291 crore in agricultural input aid to assist those impacted, a CMO press release mentioned.

With this new classification, unseasonal rainfall becomes the ninth State-Specific Disaster officially recognised by Odisha, joining others such as lightning strike, heat wave, cyclone (whirlwind), tornado, incessant rainfall, boat capsize during flood, death due to drowning, and snakebite.

The national government has its own list of 12 designated disasters.

Government compensation measures

Affected farmers with over 33% crop loss became eligible for monetary compensation through Rs 291 crore allocated from SDRF. This includes agricultural input subsidies to support recovery efforts.

Historical context of this calamity

This decision follows earlier compensation measures announced in January 2025 after similar unseasonal rains affected 2,26,000 hectares. The recurrent nature of these weather events underscores systemic climate challenges in Odisha's agricultural sector.

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Impact of incessant rain on agriculture

December 2024 unseasonal rains damaged crops across 22,791 hectares, affecting approximately 6,66,000 farmers. The disaster exacerbated existing agricultural vulnerabilities, with paddy and vegetable crops being particularly impacted.