PANAJI
The Agriculture Department has begun assessing crop losses caused by elephant Omkar, who strayed into Goa more than two weeks ago and has been moving between the State and neighbouring Maharashtra.
Director of Agriculture Sandeep Fol Dessai on Wednesday confirmed that evaluations are being carried out under the ‘Shetkari Adhar Nidhi’ scheme, which provides compensation to farmers for damage caused by wild animals.
“Under the scheme, our Agriculture Officers are conducting evaluations of the losses caused by Omkar. Two villages have already been covered, and the remaining two will be completed by Oct 3 or Oct 4. Once the assessment is finalised, we will have exact figures on the number of farmers affected and the total loss, which will be communicated by October 4,” Dessai said. Omkar’s presence has created widespread concern among farmers, many of whom reported damage to crops over the past fortnight.
