Farmland flooded

ROURKELA: Vast tracts of farmland under Raiboga gram panchayat of Birmitrapur Assembly constituency in Sundargarh district have been inundated due to incessant rains and paddy saplings damaged.  Reports said several hundred acres of paddy fields at Raiboga, Chanabahal, Magotoli, Hetbahal and Getitangar in Kuanrmunda blocks have been flooded  with overflowing rainwater from the Turia nullah. The low-lying farm fields are facing worst water-logging. Kuanrmunda block vice-chairman Shyam Sundar Sahu said paddy crop over 500 acres had been washed away.  Due to incessant rain since Wednesday night, the Turia nullah, linked to various water channels of neighbouring Jharkhand, has triggered a flood-like situation near Pograposh. Vehicular traffic remained off the roads on Friday, he added.Sahu further said that the swelling nullah had left nearly 30,000 villagers of Raiboga, Dalki, Andali, Majhapada and Salangabahal gram panchayats stranded.  He demanded proper rehabilitation for the affected farmers and immediate construction of a bridge at Pograposh.