Odisha govt announces 2 districts as pest attacked & 3 as

The Odisha government Monday announced an area of 10,456.64 hectares land in two districts as pest attacked and some places in three districts as drought hit.

As many as 1,567 villages in two districts of Bolangir and Deogarh have been infested by pests. Bolangir was identified as worst-affected due to pest attack.

The places which were declared as drought hit had been located in Kalahandi, Nuapada and Sambalpur districts.

The Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) in a release said that the state government has declared an area of 10,456.64 hectares in 1,567 villages under 319 GPs of 15 Blocks and 15 wards of 4 ULBs in 2 districts - Bolangir and Deogarh, as affected by pest attack having suffered crop loss of 33 per cent and above.

The release said that 9,008 hectares and 154.64 hectares of the sown area suffered damages between 33 per cent and 50 per cent to crops in Bolangir and Deogarh districts respectively, while 1,294 hectares of the sown area in Bolangir witnessed damage more than 50 per cent to crops.

This apart, it said that the state government has declared an additional 67,576.94 hectares in 1,729 villages under 360 gram panchayats of 21 blocks and 45 wards of 6 ULBs in three districts of Kalahandi, Nuapada and Sambalpur as drought hit on the basis of field verification report received from the Collectors.