The rains from the depression have dashed the hopes of farmers in Odisha

Rainfall at the peak of the harvesting season has proved to be a curse for farmers in coastal and interior districts. Representation file image. | Photo Courtesy: Vishwaranjan Raut

Incessant rains caused by a low-pressure area have inundated agricultural lands in Odisha, inundating paddy crops ready for harvest, dashing farmers’ hopes of earning Rs 3,100 per quintal for the first time in the kharif season.

After the well-known low pressure area in West Central and Southwest Bay of Bengal turned into a depression, rains have occurred in most of the districts of the state.

“The low pressure over West Central Bay of Bengal off Andhra Pradesh coast has moved east(1) northeastwards at a speed of 12 kmph during the last six hours and is centered over the Bay of West Bengal, 430 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh). , 480 km east-northeast of Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and 590 km south- Gopalpur (Odisha),” says the IMD bulletin.

It informs, “The system is likely to gradually weaken over the sea, maintaining intensity as a depression towards the east (1) northeast during the next 12 hours. Many places in Odisha received light to moderate rains while Nayagarh, Khordha, Puri, Jagatsinghpur and Ganjam districts received one or more showers. There has been heavy rain at two places.

According to IMD, 110 mm of rain was recorded in Ranpur (Nayagarh district), 80 mm in Begunia (Khordha), Berhampur (Ganjam) and Jatni (Khordha). Districts like Ganjam, Nayagarh, Khordha, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack and Rayagada have experienced heavy unseasonal rainfall due to the atmospheric system.

Rainfall at the peak of the harvesting season has proved to be a curse for farmers in coastal and interior districts. With their fields partially inundated, farmers are struggling to save their paddy ready for harvesting. Due to the muddy conditions, harvesting machines could not be brought to the fields, and the situation has worsened.

“While we expected a bumper crop this season, the announcement of a hike in the minimum support price of around ₹ 1,000 per quintal has dented farmers’ hopes. However, unseasonal rains have poured cold water on those expectations. Excessive rainfall is likely to bleach the paddy, making it unfit for acceptance in the market yard,” said Santosh Swain, a farmer in Jagatsingpur district.

Similarly, farmers in western Odisha district faced uncertainty as they harvested paddy and brought it to the market yard.

After the rains, the government assesses the damage to crops. The rains have affected standing crops in the fields. To minimize the loss, we provided enough polythene covers to protect the paddy kept in various market yards, which reduced the chances of the crop getting wet,” said state Cooperation Minister Pradeep Bal Samant.

Tough times continue for farmers as the IMD has forecast light to moderate rains in several districts of coastal Odisha. Similarly, there is a possibility of light rain in Devgarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, Buddh, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Rayagada and Koraput.

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