Forty-nine people in Chhattisgarh’s Dhamtari district have lost sight in one or both eyes during this year’s paddy harvesting and threshing season, according to Amar Ujala, which cited health department data. Fourteen of them lost sight in both eyes, and two had an eye surgically removed. The district hospital is seeing three to four such patients every day.
The injuries are tied directly to the manual harvesting and threshing (minjai) of standing paddy, which is still underway across Dhamtari’s farm blocks. Amar Ujala reported that flying paddy-ear and straw fragments strike farmers and farm laborers in the eye during the work, and that what starts as a minor corneal wound can turn serious within days if not treated correctly.
Health department figures cited in the report show the damage is concentrated in a few blocks. Kurud block recorded 10 cases of both-eye vision loss and 13 of one-eye loss, the highest count in the district. Nagri block had no both-eye cases but 17 one-eye cases, the most of any block for that category. Magarlod block recorded 2 and 3 respectively, and the Gujra and Dhamtari town area 2 and 2.
Why a Straw Injury Turns Into Permanent Vision Loss
Ophthalmologists cited in the report say the chain of harm rarely starts with the injury itself. A paddy-ear fragment or sharp piece of straw striking the eye causes a corneal abrasion, which on its own is usually treatable if seen quickly by a specialist.
The damage compounds when workers rub the injured eye in reaction to the pain, which can deepen the wound, or when they buy steroid eye drops over the counter without a doctor’s advice. According to the report, unsupervised steroid use on an open corneal wound can accelerate fungal or bacterial infection, destroying eye tissue faster than it would otherwise fail. Delaying a visit to a specialist narrows the window in which the eye can still be saved, the report said. Doctors cited in the report describe the resulting condition as corneal blindness.
Not the First Season This Has Happened
Amar Ujala reported that two people in the district lost one eye each to similar harvest-season injuries last year, meaning this is a recurring, seasonal risk rather than an isolated incident. The scale is markedly larger this year, with the 2026 season’s 49 cases already more than twenty times last year’s reported two.
Dhamtari is one of Chhattisgarh’s established paddy-growing districts, and harvesting and threshing there, as in much of the state, is still done largely by hand rather than with enclosed mechanical harvesters. That method is exactly where the risk sits: workers bend close to the standing crop and the threshing floor, putting their faces in the direct path of flying husk and grain-ear fragments for hours at a stretch.
| Block/Area | Both-eye vision loss | One-eye vision loss |
|---|---|---|
| Kurud | 10 | 13 |
| Nagri | 0 | 17 |
| Magarlod | 2 | 3 |
| Gujra and Dhamtari area | 2 | 2 |
| Total | 14 | 35 |
Who Is Most at Risk
The report identifies farmers and farm laborers directly working the harvest and threshing floor as the people affected, rather than the wider rural population. Kurud and Nagri blocks account for the bulk of the district’s cases between them, 23 of the 35 one-eye cases and 10 of the 14 both-eye cases, which points to those two blocks running the most manual threshing activity this season.
The district hospital’s steady flow of three to four new patients a day, as cited in the report, means the season’s running total is not a one-time count but an ongoing tally that will keep rising for as long as harvesting continues in the district.
What Turns a Minor Injury Into a Lost Eye
According to the report, the two cases that ended in surgical removal did not start that way. A corneal abrasion from a straw or husk fragment is, on its own, a treatable injury if a patient reaches a specialist quickly. What the report describes instead is a pattern of delay and self-treatment: rubbing the eye, buying steroid eye drops over the counter without a prescription, and waiting before seeking specialist care.
Each of those steps, per the report, narrows the window in which the eye can be saved. Unsupervised steroid use on an already-open wound can accelerate a fungal or bacterial infection that the eye’s own defenses would otherwise have more time to fight off, and by the time a patient is finally seen by a specialist, the tissue damage can already be irreversible.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people have been affected in Dhamtari this season?
Forty-nine, per the health department data cited by Amar Ujala: 14 lost sight in both eyes, 35 in one eye, and 2 had an eye surgically removed.
What is causing the injuries?
Flying paddy-ear and straw fragments striking the eye during manual harvesting and threshing, which can cause a corneal wound that worsens without prompt, correct treatment.
Which areas are worst affected?
Kurud and Nagri blocks account for most of the district’s cases, per the report’s block-wise breakdown.
Why do some cases end in losing the eye entirely?
The report points to delayed specialist care and self-treatment with unprescribed steroid eye drops, which can worsen infection in an already-injured eye.
What to Watch
Dhamtari’s harvesting and threshing season is still active, and the district hospital’s daily patient count suggests the total will keep climbing before it ends. Whether the health department issues a formal advisory or steps up outreach to harvest crews in Kurud and Nagri specifically is the next thing to watch.
Leave a Reply