After wreaking devastation in 2015, drought is looming large again this year in Nuapada district. August is the month of transplantation and beusaning of paddy, but thousands of hectares of lands are either lying fallow or looking gray with dried plants.
Rainfall in the months of August with only 151.2 mm is 46 per cent less than the normal precipitation, which has affected agricultural operations in more than 50 per cent of the land in the district.
“Drought this year will have much impact on our living because it is repeating,” said villagers of Khasbahal of Khariar block. The word Khasbahal denotes the “best low land” but without water they are the worst, added the villagers.
Kalabati Sabar of this village had sown paddy in three acres and had planned for transplantation in seven acres of her low lands. “Ploughing (beusaning) of the sown paddy field could not be possible due to lack of rain and you can see how the paddy seedlings are drying due to lack of water,” said Kalabati showing a patch of her land, where the paddy seedlings have turned gray. “We have already spent Rs50,000 in cultivation and out of that Rs35,000 was loan from private sources,” she added.
In Khariar block, decrease in rainfall in August this year is by about 30 per cent from the normal, but the impact is more due to less number of rainy days and unequal distribution across the Panchayats.
“In Khasbahal Panchayat, agricultural operations have suffered in 100 per cent land,” said BJP Krushak Morcha president Sanjay Tiwari. “The situation is same in major part of Chindaguda, Birighat, Sanmaheswar and Bargaon Panchayats of the block,” he added.
Komna block is the worst sufferer due to scanty rainfall. “BJP Krushak Morcha, after a field survey in Panchayats all over the district, has found that, 90 per cent of the land in Komna, Tikrapada, lakhna, Gandamer, Udyanbandh, Thikpali,Jhagrahi, Agren, Michhapali, Rajna and Bhela Panchayats have been drought-affected. likewise, agricultural operations have suffered in Karlakot, Nagpada, Sunapur, Khaira and Bhaisadani Panchayats of Boden block and Singjhar, Ghatmal, Nangalbod and Kendumunda Panchayats of Sinapali block, said Tiwari.
Most farmers of the district have not yet been paid the input subsidy for crop losses in low land for the year 2015-16. likewise, uncertainty hangs over the payment of crop insurance for last year. “loan burdens of farmers have increased, as they have incurred loan in last one year to meet their day to day expenses in addition to the crop loan for the current Kharif operations, which will have negative consequence on their lives,” said BJP leader Jadumani Panigrahi.
It is unfortunate that the administration has no information on the field situation; they even have no information on how much of land has been damaged due to lack of rain, he added.
The BJP held demonstration at Nuapada on August 29 to demand early release of input subsidy, insurance and for conducting a detailed survey of damage caused to agriculture due to scanty rainfall.