Untimely rain: Odisha govt directs Collectors to conduct proper crop loss assessment

While the untimely rain induced by the low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal led to water logging in acres of farmland across Odisha, Revenue and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari on Sunday directed Collectors of affected districts to carry out proper assessment of the crop damage. 

Speaking to media persons in Bhubaneswar, Revenue Minister Pujari said, "The Collectors have been instructed to carry out the proper assessment of crop loss due to the unseasonal rainfall. The assessment couldn’t be carried out properly due to rainfall which continued till yesterday.”

"The revenue officials- Tehsildars, Revenue Inspectors, Amins- from the unaffected areas have also been roped in to assess the loss in the affected areas of the state. The assessment will be conducted accurately after the rain subsides,” he added.

Pujari assured the farmers that the state government would provide adequate compensation for the crop loss and also extend help for the sale of the remaining crops. The Revenue Minister stated that he would personally visit the affected areas if needed.

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Meanwhile, the state government has urged the farmers who have insured their Kharif crops under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (Kharif -2024) to report the crop loss due to the unseasonal rainfall to avail the insurance compensation.

As per a press statement of the state government, the harvested crops of farmers in many coastal and interior districts -- Angul, Balasore, Bhadrak, Boudh, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Deogarh, Gajapati, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kandhamal, Kendrapara, Keonjhar, Khordha, Koraput, Mayurbhanj, Nawrangpur, Nayagarh, Puri and Raygada, would have been damaged due to the unseasonal rainfall over the last two days.

"About 15 lakh farmers from these districts have been enrolled under the scheme. The farmers who have insured their Kharif crops under PMFBY (Kharif -2024) are required to report the loss of their harvested crops for claiming insurance compensation," the statement read.

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The farmers have been advised to upload the information on crop loss using the “Krishi Rakshak” App within 72 hours of the crop loss or inform through the helpline No 14447.

(With IANS inputs)