A fresh cyclone threat has put Ganjam’s standing paddy crop, coastal fishing activity and flood preparedness measures under pressure, with the India Meteorological Department issuing yellow and orange warnings for heavy to very heavy rainfall in Ganjam and Gajapati between November 18 and 20.
The warnings have heightened concern among farmers in Ganjam, where most of the paddy crop is still standing and harvesting has barely begun. Chief district agriculture officer Manoranjan Roul said only 5% to 7% of the crop had been cut so far. Farmers fear that further rain could damage the crop before it can be harvested.
Around 2.18 lakh hectares were cultivated with paddy in the district this year. More than 83,400 hectares of standing paddy had already been damaged by rain and flooding associated with severe Cyclone Arnab, according to the report. The prospect of another spell of heavy rain has therefore created a fresh risk for farmers who have not yet been able to bring their crops to safety.
The agriculture department has asked farmers who have access to combine harvesters capable of cutting and threshing crops simultaneously to use the machines and store the harvested paddy in safer locations. However, farmers said the wet ground was making harvesting difficult. Niranjan Mohanty, a farmer from Baiganabadi, said the fields remained muddy and could not currently support harvesting operations.
The district administration has prepared more than 1,000 temporary shelter centres, according to the Ganjam collector. Residents of landslide-prone and hilly areas are expected to be moved to safer locations if conditions worsen. The preparations extend beyond evacuation, as the administration has also cancelled the leave of government officials and instructed them to remain at their workplaces until further orders.
Water resources department engineers have issued notices regarding the possible release of water from reservoirs and dams if another storm develops. The department said the reservoirs were full after extreme rainfall in the last week of October under the influence of Cyclone Arnab, and that water could be released in advance of fresh rain to reduce the risk of an untoward incident.
The district administration has separately warned fishermen not to venture into the sea and asked those already at sea to return to their respective villages before Monday. Authorities said sea conditions could become rough to very rough during the warning period. The next operational steps will depend on rainfall intensity, sea conditions and the administration’s assessment of evacuation and reservoir-release requirements as the November 18-20 warning window approaches.
