Drones deployed to monitor crop damage from drought

Colombo (News 1st): The Agricultural & Agrarian Insurance Board says Air Force drones have been deployed from Saturday to monitor crop damage caused by dry weather.

Its Director General Panduka Weerasinghe says that crop damage is being observed in the farmlands of the Walawa region today.

He adds that he took this measure in order to get more detailed reports after his officials observed the damaged fields.

Weerasinghe says that it is estimated that 54,000 acres of paddy fields have been destroyed by the dry weather.

The General Secretary of Anuradhapura District Main Irrigation Joint Agrarian Association, Punchirala Ratnayake says that the government should provide compensation for the paddy fields destroyed due to the dry weather.

He made this statement at a media briefing.