Unseasonal rains in Odisha have compounded the miseries of farmers, with six deaths reported so far from different parts of the state in the past week.
While three farmers died following heart attacks induced by the shock of crop loss, two others committed suicide after seeing their harvest-ready paddy destroyed by the rain. Another farmer was electrocuted on Friday while trying to salvage whatever paddy was left in his field.
Worried about the increasing number of farmer deaths, chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi called a review meeting on Saturday and assured that farmers would be compensated for their crop losses.
Majhi instructed the concerned departments to submit a crop loss report by December 30. So far, 1.26 lakh farmers have intimated about crop losses incurred due to the unseasonal rains.
“I appeal to all farmers to intimate their loss of crops by Sunday. All farmers will be given compensation as per the norms through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT),” said Majhi.
The chief minister has urged farmers to immediately report thier losses to the government within 72 hours via helpline number 14447 or the Krishi Rakshak app.
Manibhadra Mohanty, 62, died of a cardiac arrest after seeing his near-harvest paddy crop almost destroyed in his field on Saturday morning. This incident occurred in Binjharpur, Jajpur district.
Another farmer, Daitari Jena, who consumed poison on December 23, passed away on Saturday in hospital. “My father took this extreme step after seeing all his destroyed crops,” said his son Raghunath Jena.
The death due to electrocution was reported from Bhadrak district. Panchanan Das, 45, of Narasingpur village, was cutting the remaining paddy he had managed to save from the rain when he came in contact with a sagging 11 KV line passing through his field. The electric wire had snapped and fallen on him.
The state reported its first farmer death this week on Monday. The deceased, identified as 75-year-old Purnachandra Dalei from Dungura village in Puri district, lost consciousness upon seeing the state of his paddy crops. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was later declared dead.
Two more deaths were reported on Thursday from Ganjam and Kendrapara districts, respectively. Banamali Penthai, 64, a sharecrop farmer from Ganjam, committed suicide after seeing his paddy crop, grown on five acres of land, submerged and destroyed. In Kendrapara, Bhabagrahi Mallick, 52, died of cardiac arrest after seeing his damaged paddy crop.
“The farmers had expected a bumper crop this time, but their hopes were shattered. In addition to paddy, non-paddy crops like vegetables have also also damaged. Many farmers spent substantial amounts raising crops after buying paddy seeds and fertilisers at high prices. They often borrowed money from private lenders at high interest rates. When they see their efforts wasted, they lose their mental balance and either commit suicide or die of cardiac arrest,” said farmer leader Akshay Kumar.
Minister of revenue and disaster management Suresh Pujari said: “Odisha is a victim of natural disasters. We will take a tough stand if we find that insurance companies are rejecting the premiums from farmers in areas where prone to crop loss due to drought and other disasters. We have asked them to finalise the farmers’ claims without delay and ensure timely compensation.”