Crop loss spreads over 3.84 lakh hectares due to unseasonal rain

Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) BP Sethi said his office compiled the information provided by the collectors of all the 30 districts.

At least 19 districts in the state have been affected by the unseassonal rain this month, he said.

According to the SRC, the kharif crop damage have been reported from 135 blocks spread over 19 districts. "The unseasonal rain has affected Kharif crops in over 3.84 lakh hectare of agricultural land," Sethi said.

However, the authorities of four districts like Nuapada, Malkangiri, Sonepur and Jharsuguda have recorded no crop loss due to the rain triggered by the low pressure last week.

With the damage evaluation reports reaching the SRC s office, the government will soon announce a package to provide assistace for the affected farmers, a senior official of the SRC office said.

The government had on November 18 asked all the district collectors to send report of crop loss by November 25. The collectors were asked to furnish the list of affected villagers sustaining crop loss of 33 per cent and above.

Also Read: One more farmer commits suicide over alleged crop loss in Odisha

Farmers who sustained crop loss of 33 per cent and above due to the calamity are eligible to get agricultural input subsidy as per the norms of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).