Flood-hit farmers of Odisha seek crop loss compensation

JAJPUR: Farmers staged a demonstration near Ramapur in Dharmasala block on Thursday demanding adequate compensation for their crops damaged in the recent floods. The protest site was near Kelua river where a breach had occurred during the deluge. “The floods caused by Ramapur breach inundated our villages and damaged crops on vast tracts of land. We demand adequate compensation for our loss,” said Laxmidhar Malik, an agitator.

Local Congress leader Smrutirekha Pahi, who led the protestors, alleged that the breach was manmade. The road where the breach occurred is strong enough to withstand heavy flow of floodwater. It cannot be broken. Some miscreants blew it off by using dynamite for their vested interests,” she claimed.

The protesting farmers also displayed samples of their damaged crops. The agitators also demanded immediate arrest of the miscreants involved in the creating the breach. Besides, the repair work of the breach should be awarded to an outside contractor for the greater interest of local people, they said.

The embankment of Kelua river in Ramapur was blown off by miscreants on August 30. An FIR was lodged by assistant engineer of Jaraka irrigation department Kamadev Das with Dharmasala police in this regard.Though three weeks have passed since the filing of the FIR, no one has been arrested so far.