Odisha Govt To Declare Three Dists As Drought-Hit, Crop Loss In Two Dists

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has declared three districts as drought-hit and identified crop loss in two more districts.

In a release, the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) and the commissioner-cum-secretary, Disaster Management of the Revenue and Disaster Management department, has said having taken into account the conditions as arising from dry spell, poor crop conditions, ascertained the distress situation that is likely to develop in the area affected by these conditions through sample field verification and on the basis of reports available from collectors of Kalahandi, Nuapada and  Sambalpur districts on October 31 this year, has declared these three districts as drought-hit.

A total of 67576.94 hectares of crops in 1729 villages under 360 Gram Panchayats of 21 Blocks and 45 wards of six urban local bodies (ULBs) in these three districts have been badly affected, he added.

Of the three districts, 12950.48 hectares of crops in 491 villages under 137 Gram Panchayats of 7 Blocks in Kalahandi district, 37666.80 hectares of crops in 534 villages under 126 Gram Panchayats of 5 Blocks and 12 wards of three ULBs in Nuapada district and 16959.66 hectares of crops in 664 villages under 97 Gram Panchayats of 9 Blocks and 33 wards of three ULBs in Sambalpur district have been badly affected.

The SRC also said that apart from these three aforesaid districts, sustained crop loss of 33% and above has been found in 10456.64 hectares in 1567 villages under 319 Gram Panchayats of 15 Blocks and 15 wards of four ULBs in Balangir and Deogarh districts due to pest attack as per the field verification reports of the district collectors.

Of the two districts, 10302 hectares of crops in 1520 villages under 305 Gram Panchayats of 14 Blocks and 15 wards in five ULBs in Balangir district and 154.64 hectares of crops in 47 villages under 14 Gram Panchayats of one Block in Deogarh district have sustained loss due to pest attack.

Taking note of the drought situation and crop loss in these five districts, the state government has directed the collectors concerned to undertake relief measures, the release added.