Situation is very acute than drought says Minister



Agriculture Minister of Odisha Pradeep Maharathi

Berhampur: Agriculture Minister of Odisha Pradeep Maharathi visited the drought affected areas of Ganjam district on Sunday. He has taken the stock of the drought situation of different blocks of the district.

“I visited the drought affected blocks of Ganjam with local MLAs. What the MLAs had expressed grave concern over the acute shortage of water which has created drought situation in the district, that’s true”, said minister Maharathi to the Newsmen.

Minister reached at 9am at Khallikote block. He visited the Khallikote and Chatrapur block on his way to Berhampur. He visited different blocks with Khallikote MLA V Sugnani Deo, Polsara MLA Niranjan Pradhan, Chatrapur MLA Adikanda Sethi, Berhampur MLA Ramesh Chandra Chyau Patnaik and Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahy. Minister attended the meetings at Konisi and Rangeilunda block and met the farmers of the area to review the situation respectively.

“We saw that the domestic animals were grazing in the paddy fields. The water level of the ponds is very less, which severely failed to supply water to the paddy fields. The estimation of the crop loss will be finalized with direct monitoring by me with the help of my department officials. My ministry will also provide seeds, fertilizers for Rabi crop as the assistance for the farmers”, he said while visiting the most affected Rangeilunda block.

“Drought declaration is the co-ordination work of three departments; theses are Agriculture, Irrigation, Revenue. According to the relief court, drought declaration is made after September 15, the time crop cutting. But after visited the place I felt that the situation is very acute than drought”, minister expressed grave concern over the drought situation of the district.

In a meeting, minister informed that he will come again to the Aska area of the district on September 14 to review the drought situation. After that he will make the master plan to estimate the loss.