Shahdol (Madhya Pradesh): In a shocking case of negligence, hundreds of sacs of paddy stored in an open area were soaked and spoiled due to heavy rainfall in Madhya Pradesh’s Shahdol district.
The rice bags kept in Hathgala, Channoudi (Budhar block) got wet and many have now sprouted, making the grain useless.
The incident came to light after locals noticed a foul smell coming from the area. A video showing the soaked and damaged rice bags quickly went viral on social media, sparking public outrage.
According to reports, poor storage arrangements lead to this damage. Currently, the manager-in-charge is trying to save the remaining grains.
The paddy had been kept covered only with a thin tarpaulin, which was torn by strong winds, allowing rainwater to enter the storage area. Waterlogging inside the cap further damaged the rice.
As per guidelines, paddy should not be stored in open caps for more than 3 months, but the rice here had been lying for over 6 months.
NCCF officials (National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation) had failed to lift the stored paddy within the time limit. NCCF Manager M.S. Upadhyay admitted that the responsibility for procurement and protection of the stock lies with them.
In total, about 98,000 quintals of paddy were stored in Channoudi: 20,000 quintals from Khamhidol committee; 48,000 quintals from Channoudi & 30,000 quintals from Keshwahi Girwa.
Altogether, 54 open caps were created, each storing around 3,200 sacs. The State Civil Supply Corporation Limited was in charge of storage and failed to make proper arrangements to protect the stock from weather damage.
This incident has caused massive loss to farmers, whose paddy was procured back in December and January but remained in open storage due to the officials’ negligence.
