Dry spell hits drinking water schemes, crops
DHARAMSHALA: : With the drinking water supply schemes, agriculture and horticulture adversary hit due to prolonged dry spell, the Himachal Pradesh government will demand the Centre to declare the state drought-hit.
Himachal has witnessed a 92.4% rainfall deficit in March and April this year. Ten districts have recorded more than 90% rainfall deficit except for Kullu and Mandi where the rainfall deficit was recorded at 84% and 83%, respectively. The state experienced only 12.4mm of rainfall against a normal of 172mm.
Jal shakti minister Mahender Singh Thakur said the deficit rainfall has hit 550 drinking water supply schemes wherein the water level has receded alarmingly.
The state has a total of 9,800 drinking water supply schemes.
“All the districts have been asked to submit reports about the shortage of drinking water. The chief minister will hold a meeting with all the line departments to assess the situation on May 1 after which the matter will be raised with the Union government to declare Himachal drought-hit,” he said.
The minister said the Centre will be urged to send a team to visit the affected areas and assess losses.
Thakur, who also holds the horticulture portfolio, said agricultural and fruit crops
THE HIMACHAL PRADESH GOVERNMENT WILL URGE THE CENTRE TO DECLARE THE HILL STATE AS DROUGHT-HIT
have also been hit due to the dry spell.
The impact is visible in apple-growing areas up to the height of 7,000 feet. If it doesn’t rain for a few more days, the apple crop above 8,000 feet will also be affected. Besides, 60% of agricultural crops have been damaged in the state. The wheat crop is the worst hit, he said, adding that the wheat grain is shrivelled and lost lustre. The minister said that the jal shakti is planning to install hand-pumps in the drought-hit areas. With the mercury shooting up above normal due to the prolonged dry spell, the forest fires are wreaking havoc in the hill state. The state has recorded more than 500 forest fire incidents in the last one month. The fire season in Himachal is from April 1 to June 30. Over 4,000 hectares of the area have been affected by the forest fires damaging forest wealth estimated to be in crores. Most of the fires are reported in pine forests, which constitute about 50% of the total forest cover in the state.dharamsala division is the worst hit where over 150 fires have been reported so far. The forest overlooking the hill town are up in flames for the past few days while a massive fire broke out at Darnu on the outskirts of Dharamshala on Thursday evening threatening the adjoining residential area.