Rains wash off paddy worth millions in Orissa

BHUBANESWAR - Incessant unseasonal rains since Monday have destroyed paddy crop worth millions of rupees in Orissa, an official said Saturday.

“Most parts of the state have witnessed widespread rains, and as a result winter paddy crops stored in the fields have been damaged,” an official of the state agriculture department told IANS.

The worst-hit have been the southern districts of Ganjam and Gajapati and western districts of Bolangir and Subarnapur.

The state government has asked authorities of all the districts to assess the damages and submit reports by Dec 15. Orissa contributes almost one-tenth of India’s rice output.