Click to play videoBhubaneswar: It's a drought-like situation in Orissa as over 60 people have died due to the heat wave this season. With temperature hovering at 48 degrees, people are left with no option but to pray.
Every time Arjun Sahoo sees cloud in the sky, he hopes for adequate rain and begins farming in his land, only to realise the clouds once again have failed him. For this 37 years old farmer, growing paddy in his one acre land is his only source of income to feed his nine member family.
Arjun Sahoo, farmer, says, "The soil has gone completely dry. If it does not rain now our crop will be destroyed and we will starve."
In Orissa more than 82% farmers are of small and marginal type with no alternate source of income. Crop failure means a big disaster for them. No wonder in last two years alone 46 farmers have committed suicide in the state.
Damodar Rout, state's Agriculture minister, says, "If the monsoon fails there will be drought in the state. We have started taking alternate measures to see that the farmers do not suffer. Rupees hundred crore has been released to see that farmers avail the facility of lift irrigation."
But in the assembly, legislators are too busy fighting over the coal scam issue, with the Opposition boycotting the House for last five days over the scam. The state has already witnessed 32% deficit in rainfall and in districts like Kendrapara, Angul, Sundergarh, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak and Khurda the rainfall deficit is over 50%.
The Met dept in Bhubaneswar has predicted that towards the end of this month a low pressure might be formed in Bay of Bengal and that might bring some rains to the state. At the moment this seems to be the only big hope for the desperate farmers of Orissa.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter and Google+)
displayed with permission. Use of the CNN name and/or logo on or as part of CNN-IBN does not derogate from the intellectual property rights of Cable News Network in respect of them.