Binka farmers spending sleepless nights

| | SONEPUR
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Binka farmers spending sleepless nights

Saturday, 27 November 2021 | SRIKUMAR MAHANTA | SONEPUR

The farmers are spending sleepless nights guarding their ready- to-harvest as well as harvested crops from boars and elephants in Binka area of Subarnapur district.

For last couple of days, hundreds of boars from Singhijuba, Jampali, Bhandara, Papi, Kadlipali and Chulimali reserve forests under Binika range are raiding the paddy fields and destroying the ripe crops in the farm lands.

Adding to their woes, elephants from Ullunda forest are frequently raiding Binika after crossing the Mahanadi river. These pachyderms are causing extensive damage to the crops and are not sparing even the harvested crops kept in farmlands.

When it comes to saving their crops, thinking about their safety as well as health is the last thing on the farmers minds. Braving winter and mosquito menance, they are guarding their crops at their farmlands and farmyards, remaining awake all through the night. Some have erected manchas from where they are keeping vigil on their crops below.

As if the wild animals menace was not enough, the inclement weather has also posed a threat. With the paddy procurement centres, yet to be opened in Binka area, hundreds of farmers, who have already harvested their crops are in a fix. The unseasonal rain has aggravated the situation. They apprehend that the harvested paddy they have saved from marauding animals would be damaged due to the moisture in the atmosphere.

That apart, farmers are yet to receive their assistance money for the crops they lost to boars last year. This year these animals have already destroyed huge acres of paddy crops.

While they are under the burden of loans, they are having a tough time making machine and labour payments.

The farmers of Sindurapur,Babupali,Bankighardi,Singhijuba and Papi have demanded that the administration consider their problem seriously and take steps to open the paddy procurement centres at the earliest and asses their crop loss. While contacted, Binika Ranger Sibaprasad Nayak assured the affected farmers would be compensated for the damages caused by wild animals last year and the current year.

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