KalingaTV News
Bhubaneswar: The Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) on Sunday revealed that Ganjam district is the worst affected district in the state due to pest attack.
As per the SRC statistics, crops have been affected by pest menace in nearly 1, 78,932 hectares of agricultural land in nine districts of the state.
Standing crops in 8,211 villages of 92 blocks and 19 urban local bodies have been affected by the pests in Bargarh, Sambalpur, Nuapada, Sonepur, Bolangir, Ganjam, Kalahandi, Koraput and Bhadrak, said the SRC statistics.
There has been 33 to 50 percent crop loss in nearly 1, 12,000 hectares of land while 20 blocks in Ganjam district have been worst affected.
Similarly, 14 blocks each in Bolangir and Koraput, 12 in Kalahandi and 11 in Bargarh have been affected by pests this year.
Meanwhile, Development Commissioner R. Balakrishnan, after reviewing the situation through video conferencing this afternoon, asserted that pest attack is a natural calamity and the affected farmers will be compensated as per relief code.
The Development Commissioner directed the district collectors to intensify awareness drives and to mobilize the revenue personnel, self-help groups and other grass-root level workers.
He advised the farmers not to be panic saying that the state government has already directed for disbursal of assistance for rabi crops.
The state government’s decision came in the wake of a series of instances of crops being set on fire and farmer suicides.
Ms Kalinga