Odisha facing severe drought: Mantri
The Odisha government on Wednesday admitted that the state stared at imminent drought of severe nature and said all efforts were being made to protect the farmers against the fallout of the natural disaster.
State agriculture minister Dr Arun Kumar Sahoo, while replying to an adjournment motion in the Assembly, said 23 of the 30 districts in the state had experienced deficient rainfall this monsoon, resulting in withering away of standing crops, including paddy. “By August 28, as many as 23 districts in the state have faced deficient rainfall. In July and August, the state has received 616.4 mm rainfall as against the normal rainfall of 877.9 mm. The scanty rainfall has raised the fear of drought in the state,” Dr Sahoo said.
The minister informed that crop cultivation activities were taken up on 53.67 lakh hectares of land as against the targeted 61.96 lakh hectares due to scanty rainfall.
“Though the paddy crop has been severely hit by the scanty rainfall, nonpaddy crops like maize, cotton, oilseeds and cereals have not been affected that much,” Dr Sahoo said. Furnishing details about the steps taken by the state government to provide succour to the farmers, the minister said the government was contemplating a contingency plan.
“We have asked the collectors to make field visits and report to the government about the ground realities. Alternative sources of irrigation like lift-irrigation and farm ponds are being explored in war-footing,” the minister said.
ARUN KUMAR Sahoo said 23 of the 30 districts in the state had experienced deficient rainfall this monsoon
HE SAID CROP cultivation activities were taken up on 53.67 lakh hectares of land as against the targeted 61.96 lakh hectares due to scanty rainfall