Collector assures inquiry into crop damage

SAMBALPUR: Enraged farmers met Sambalpur Collector Mrinalini Darswal here on Monday demanding adequate compensation for paddy crop damaged due to emissions from the smelter plant of Hindalco at Hirakud. They were led by Sambalpur Zilla Krushak Surakhya Sangathan (SZKSS) president Murari Prasad Purohit. Darswal assured the farmers to visit the damaged farms and take up the issue with Hindalco management. On July 23, farmers from Nua Jamda, Dengimocha and Mohammadpur villages in the vicinity of the smelter plant of Hindalco found their paddy saplings damaged due to release of Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) from the plant. Paddy saplings in over 25 acres of land across in the three villages were destroyed while standing crop on about 15 acres in Nua Jamda village were damaged. Later the villagers informed that Deputy Director of Agriculture Ashok Mohanty who dispatched a team of scientists to the spot. The team confirmed damage to the crops.