Bhubaneswar, May 16: The Odisha government has officially classified unseasonal rainfall as a state-specific disaster, enabling financial aid for affected farmers. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi approved the proposal, allowing compensation through the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), with up to 10% of its annual allocation earmarked for such losses.
The decision follows damage to over 22,000 hectares of crops last December, impacting around 6.66 lakh farmers across districts like Cuttack, Ganjam, Mayurbhanj, and Khurda. The state had earlier provided ₹291 crore in input subsidies.
With this move, Odisha adds unseasonal rain to its list of state-specific disasters, joining others like lightning, heatwaves, and heavy rain, further strengthening its disaster response for the agriculture sector.