Odisha Floods: 'Our Crops Have Been Damaged, We've Lost Everything,' Say Farmers

Video Producer: Varsha Rani
Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam

Continual rainfall in Odisha has led to havoc for farmers living in the area.

I visited Banki village, which has been severely affected due to the floods, to cover the situation and talk to the locals living there.

The farmers in the area have lost most of their land and crops as they have been submerged in water due to the incessant rainfall.

Arakhita Rout, a farmer and resident of Phulwaadi village, told me that he had planted seasonal vegetables on his farm and was about to harvest them but all his crops have been destroyed.

"My farm is around 70-80 acres on this side and it’s the same on the other side too. Everything is ruined now, there is nothing left. There’s no water to drink, the well that we had in the village has been completely submerged. There’s water all around us but nothing to drink," said Rout.

'No Access to Food or Water'

Many of the residents living in the village do not have access to clean drinking water and food now. As a result, they are falling sick.

"I have a family to take care of, my wife and our three children. My two-acre farm is completely destroyed. For the last 18-19 days, the farm has been completely submerged in water and all our crops are destroyed. People are falling sick, almost everyone has a high fever and cold now. We somehow managed to get medicines but our domestic animals are also falling sick now and we are unable to do anything."

Tarekhnath Swain, farmer

The villagers in Banki are completely dependent on farming, and with such a huge loss, their lives have been thrown out of gear.

Surjyakant Rana, another farmer from the village, told me that the rescue team came here and gave them food such as jaggery and that they have been surviving on that. Some of the villagers have left to go to their relatives' places as the situation in Banki has kept getting worse.

"I had planted rice crops on my farms and seasonal vegetables but there is nothing now. All the profit that would have been made from my hard work is gone. I usually make Rs 200-400 a day but that is gone too. All the loans that we had taken, I had put it on my farm, now it’s all gone. It would be very helpful if the government could come ahead and help us all or else we won’t be able to survive."

Khirod Sahu, farmer

Even though the rainfall has stopped now and the flow of water has also reduced, nothing is left for the farmers. They are all scared as to how they will cope with this loss; it seems impossible to them.

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