Fierce floods damage food crops in India
By Mayank Bhardwaj
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's farm ministry said on Monday it was still assessing the impact on crops of massive monsoon floods in the country's east, but state officials said vast areas of rice and corn had been damaged.
In the rice-growing state of Bihar close to one million hectares of cultivable land have been submerged by some of the worst floods in living memory, said Manoj Kumar Srivastava, an official managing relief efforts.
"We are yet to get detailed reports on the impact of floods on crops," said N.B. Singh, agriculture commissioner. "But corn output will take a hit."
Assam, Uttar Pradesh and now Orissa have also been inundated after unusually heavy rain caused rivers to burst their banks.
Millions of people have been forced from their homes and where waters have begun to recede a thick layer of silt has been left behind, making further planting impossible for several months in some areas.
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