Paddy Submerged in Rainwater Due to Continuous Low-Pressure Rain; Farmers in Distress
Kakatpur, 21/12 (Tushar Dixit): Due to the persistent rainfall caused by a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal, vast stretches of harvested paddy fields in Kakatpur block of Puri district are now submerged in water. After working tirelessly for months—ploughing fields knee-deep in mud, cultivating rented lands, taking loans from cooperative societies, and receiving assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Nidhi scheme—farmers had grown golden crops on hard-earned land. However, just when it was time to reap the rewards, nature turned against them and destroyed their harvest.
In Kakatpur block, acre after acre of paddy fields are now waterlogged and facing ruin due to the ongoing rain. Farmers are now worried about how they will bring F.A.Q. (Fair Average Quality) grade paddy to government mandis to receive a fair price for their hard work. The prolonged rain has not only damaged the harvested paddy lying in the fields but also altered its color and quality, rendering it unfit for procurement.
As a result, millers will not accept such damaged paddy through the cooperative mandi system. Distressed and helpless, farmers may be forced to sell their paddy to private traders at extremely low prices—comparable to that of vegetables or fish—just to clear their debts.
Therefore, farmers’ groups from Kakatpur block have appealed to the local administration and government to take urgent action to protect agriculture and support farmers. This demand is being backed by intellectuals and the general public in the area.
