Kendrapada: Two paddy farmers allegedly attempted to consume poison during a public grievance hearing at Rajnagar tehsil office in Kendrapada on Monday, alleging that authorities failed to act against illegal shrimp farms that they claimed had rendered their agricultural land infertile. Collector Raghuram R Iyer was hearing petitions from residents, when farmers Ganesh Mohanty (55) of Dholamara and Ramkrushna Mandal (54) of Talachua village allegedly took out bottles of poison and tried to consume them. Police personnel present at the venue intervened in time and prevented the attempt.Rajnagar IIC Chandrika Mohapatra said two bottles of poison were seized from the duo.Iyer said he had assured them that their grievances would be addressed. “I have asked Rajnagar tehsildar Jishu Christa Das to submit a report. The issue will be addressed on a priority basis,” he said.The farmers said effluents from illegal shrimp farms were flowing into adjoining agricultural fields, damaging soil quality and reducing crop yields. “We ran from pillar to post, from the collector to divisional forest officer of Bhitarkanika National Park, seeking redressal. But nothing happened. Left with no option, we decided to end our lives,” said one of the farmers.Villagers alleged that influential people had converted large tracts of govt and forest land into shrimp farms.
