Banki, Aug 1: A year after the Mahanadi River took away his daughter and niece in a tragic boat accident, the same river has once again shattered the life of farmer Ballav Behera of Kainmundi village under Banki-Dampada block.

The recent floods in the Mahanadi have washed away 60 gunths of Ballav’s vegetable cultivation, destroying the crops he had nurtured for months with the hope of earning a livelihood for his family. The farmer had invested around ₹2.5 lakh in the cultivation and expected a return of nearly ₹5 lakh. However, the floodwaters have wiped out his entire crop.

Unable to bear the loss, Ballav has been staying beside his submerged farmland for the past two days, refusing to return home. His father and brother later reached the field and tried to bring him back, but the devastated farmer could not leave behind the remains of his ruined crops.

Ballav, who had earned recognition as a successful farmer in the Banki-Dampada area, has been engaged in vegetable farming for 26 years. The 42-year-old farmer cultivated vegetables on 60 gunths of his family’s four-acre land located along the Cuttack-Banki main road.

He had grown kundru on 5 gunths, pointed gourd on 15 gunths, cucumber on 10 gunths, papaya on 10 gunths, brinjal on 10 gunths, and other vegetables on the remaining land. After three months of hard work, the crops had reached the harvesting stage. Just five days ago, he had harvested 40 kg of cucumber and was preparing to send more produce to Cuttack’s Chhatra Bazaar.

However, the sudden rise in the Mahanadi’s water level submerged his farmland. Kainmundi village, which is among the first areas in Banki to be affected whenever the river swells, was once again hit by flooding. The farmer’s fields are now submerged under chest-deep water, with most of the vegetables and plants washed away.

The latest disaster has reopened old wounds for Ballav’s family. In June last year, a boat carrying Ballav’s family members overturned in the Mahanadi while they were crossing the river after going for a bath. Although villagers rescued several people, Ballav’s niece Jigyasa Behera was found dead after eight hours. His 12-year-old daughter, who was among those rescued, also died a few days later.

Having lost his daughter and niece to the river, Ballav now says the Mahanadi has taken away his livelihood as well.

“We grew up on the banks of the Mahanadi and survived by farming this land. But due to fate’s cruelty, the river that once sustained us has now turned into our biggest enemy,” Ballav said with deep anguish.