1.8 lakh ha affected in pest attack in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Crops in as many as 1, 78,932 hectares have been affected due to pest attack in nine districts of Odisha, according to a report sourced from the Special Relief Commissioner’s (SRC) office.

The report says standing crops have been affected in 8,211 villages under 1620 gram panchayats in 92 blocks and 19 urban local bodies by pest attack in Bargarh, Nuapada, Bhadrak, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Sonepur, Sambalpur, Koraput and Ganjam districts.

Among the districts, Bargarh is the worst affected with 43,037 hectares affected by pests and the second being Sambalpur with 36,057 hectares.

While 20 blocks in Ganjam district are the worst affected, about 33 to 50 percent crop loss has been reported in nearly 1, 12,000 hectares of land.

The report further says that 14 blocks each in Balangir and Koraput, 12 in Kalahandi, 11 in Bargarh, 9 in Sambalpur,6 in Subarnapur and one in Bhadrak districts have been affected by pests this year.