Odisha to Compensate Farmers Hit by Unseasonal Rain in 5 Days

Bhubaneswar: Farmers impacted by unseasonal rain in Odisha will receive compensation within the next five days, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari announced today. The disbursal of financial assistance, sanctioned by the State Government, commenced two days ago.

According to the Minister, the Revenue Department has already transferred the compensation funds to District Collectors for distribution. Affected farmers will receive ₹15,000 per hectare for irrigated farmland and ₹7,500 per hectare for non-irrigated land.

Pujari revealed that the total losses incurred by farmers across the state amount to ₹292 crore, based on assessments provided by District Collectors.

Farmers in 14 districts have suffered losses due to the unseasonal rainfall, with partial crop and farmland damage reported in two districts. Puri district recorded the most significant damage, followed by Ganjam district.

A total of 6,66,720 farmers have been affected by the rainfall, which occurred in two phases between December 20 and 28. The heavy showers damaged crops across 2,26,791.27 hectares of agricultural land. Paddy, vegetable, groundnut, and cotton farmers were among the worst hit, the Minister stated.