Bhubaneswar: Odisha witnessed heavy floods in the month of August. As per reports, crops in around 1.2 lakh hectares of agricultural land were estimated to have been damaged by the recent floods which affected as many as 24 districts of Odisha, sources said on Tuesday.
As many as 24 of the 30 districts were affected by the floods. Standing crops and other structures were damaged in ten districts, according to preliminary damage assessment report based on information received from different districts.
Worst hit was Jagatsinghpur district where standing crops in around 2420 hectares of farm land were washed away by floodwaters, sources said adding that Puri and Kendrapada districts were also severely affected as vast areas remained marooned for days, causing severe loss to the farmers.
Apart from the coastal districts. Puri, Cuttack, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur, western Odisha districts like Sonepur and Boudh saw extensive crop damage. Besides, Balasore, Bhadrak and Jajpur districts also suffered damages due to floods in Subarnarekha, Baitarani and Budhabalanga rivers.
In Nimapada of Puri district, over 7,000 hectares of paddy and non-paddy farmlands in 18 panchayats have been affected due to floods in Dhanua and Kusabhadra rivers, sources said. Crops and vegetable were affected in Athagarh and Tigiria blocks in Cuttack district.
