Odisha now recognises lightning, heatwave, whirlwind, tornado, heavy rains and floods, boat accidents during non-flood period, drowning, snakebite and unseasonal rains as state-specific disasters
OdishaPlus Bureau
The Odisha government has classified unseasonal rain, which can severely damage crops, as a state disaster. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has approved this proposal. This allows farmers to receive help from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for crop damage caused by the unseasonal rain.
An official statement mentioned that up to 10 percent of the SDRF’s annual budget can be used for this purpose. In December 2024, unseasonal rains affected 22,791 hectares of farmland and impacted over 6.66 lakh farmers. The Chief Minister previously declared this a special state disaster and provided Rs 291 crore in agricultural subsidies to assist the farmers.
The Chief Minister has officially classified unseasonal rains as a state disaster, allowing farmers to receive aid from the SDRF.
Previously, Odisha had eight state-specific disasters: lightning, heatwaves, whirlwinds, tornadoes, heavy rain, boat accidents, drowning, and snakebites. With unseasonal rain added, there are now nine. This is in addition to disasters recognized at the national level, such as cyclones, droughts, earthquakes, and floods.
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