Sambalpur: The final report over flood damage submitted by the Sambalpur district administration to the state government is quite different from its preliminary one. This has angered the farming community, sources said here Monday. Following low-pressure-induced torrential rains for several days in the upstream areas of Mahanadi recently, excess water was released from Hirakud dam, leading to floods in Sambalpur district and in the downstream areas.
Low-lying areas in the district were inundated while crops and vegetables in hectares of farmland were damaged. The Odisha government had asked the officials in the district to conduct a survey on the damages suffered due to floods and submit a preliminary report by August 30.
Officials of the Revenue and Agriculture departments had jointly surveyed the flood-affected areas and prepared an initial report for Sambalpur district. It was stated that Maneswar locality was partially affected by floods while Chipilima and Goshala areas under Dhankaud block suffered extensive damages. The report also stated that paddy in over 100 acres of land were damaged. The report was prepared after field survey and complaints of the affected farmers.
Surprisingly however, the final report states that crops have not suffered any damage due to floods. The report has signatures of officials of the survey teams. The affected farmers are now keen to know the reason behind the sudden changes made in the final report. They have expressed their displeasure and are fuming as to why the losses suffered by them have not been mentioned. Asked on the issue, Sambalpur tehsildar Laxman Amat said that farmlands have not been damaged in and around this town. However, houses and roads have been damaged.
The report however, does not state how many houses have been damaged or the wear and tear roads have suffered due to floods. Convenor of Paschim Odisha Krushak Sangathan, Ashok Pradhan said that huge quantity of paddy has been damaged by floodwaters in Basantpur, Chipilima, Goshala, Karadola and other villages under Dhankaud block. He wanted to know the basis on which the final report has been prepared. He noted that the report is full of wrong information and demanded compensation for the affected farmers.