Landslide ruins tribal farmers' livelihood in south Odisha village

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
R Udayagiri, Oct 19:

The severe cyclonic storm Hudhud has ruined the livelihood of the poor tribals of Rupasingh village of R Udayagiri block in Odisha’s Gajapati district.

According to reports, a massive landslide occurred at the Panikikata hill near the village on the day the cyclonic storm Hudhud hit south Odisha on October 12, following which thousands of boulders rolled down the hill slope, damaging about 20 acres of crop fields in the village.

Besides, these lands have been covered by sand as a result of heavy rains that triggered flash flood in the area.

Local tribal farmers say with heaps of boulders and sand lying all over the crop area, they have little hope of revival of agricultural operations here in the near future.

According to these distraught villagers, it would take at least 10 years to make these crop fields, ridden with boulders and sand, arable.