Bhubaneswar: With Cyclone Montha approaching the Odisha coast, the Agriculture Department has gone into full preparedness mode to safeguard farmers and their crops. A high-level review meeting was held under the chairmanship of Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Principal Secretary, Agriculture Department, to assess readiness and issue precautionary directives to field officials across the state.
Dr. Padhee directed that no agriculture officer will be allowed to take leave until October 31, warning that disciplinary action would be taken against any violation of the order. He instructed that the department’s advisory for farmers must be disseminated through all possible communication channels at the earliest.
The advisory includes urgent measures such as covering and shifting harvested crops to safer, elevated locations, and draining excess rainwater from agricultural fields to minimize losses. Dr. Padhee further directed that in the post-cyclone period, officers must immediately visit fields once water recedes to assess crop damage and ensure that no affected farmer is left out of the crop loss assessment process, as emphasized by Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister K.V. Singh Deo.
According to departmental data, 14.17 lakh hectares of agricultural land in Odisha are insured under various schemes. Farmers registered under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) can file insurance claims through the NCIP portal, by calling the toll-free number 14447, or via the WhatsApp chatbot (7065514447).
The Agriculture Department has also set up a control room to coordinate disaster response, monitor field conditions, and provide real-time support to farmers.
The preparatory meeting was attended by Director of Agriculture Shubham Saxena, Additional Secretary Dr. Ganeshwar Jena, and other senior officials from the department. Chief District Agriculture Officers and Assistant Horticulture Officers from all districts participated via video conferencing to review local preparedness and response strategies.
As Cyclone Montha intensifies over the Bay of Bengal, the State Agriculture Department has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the safety of farmers and minimizing agricultural losses through proactive measures and close coordination with district administrations.