SCANT MONSOON RAIN: B’NGIR IN THROES OF DROUGHT Saturday, 12 July 2014 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

News published in the English daily The Pioneer

SCANT MONSOON RAIN: B’NGIR IN THROES OF DROUGHT

Saturday, 12 July 2014 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

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The spectre of drought looms large here with the district receiving much below than normal rainfall in June and in the first week of July bringing agriculture operations, especially paddy cultivation, to a grinding halt.

In June, against the average rainfall of 202.5 mm, the district received only 70 mm which is 66.5 per cent less.

The agriculture cultivation in the district is totally dependent on monsoon rain. Once monsoon plays truant, the crop goes haywire.

Even as politicians cry for more irrigation facility, the assured irrigation facility in the district continues to remain abysmally low at 3 per cent.

July is the crucial month for Kharif paddy cultivation. But so far, we have received only 25.5 mm which is woefully inadequate for any agriculture operation. This year, we had planned to take up Kharif paddy cultivation in 1, 85,000 hectares in the district. But till today, the agriculture operation has been taken up in just 20 per cent of area, said DDA Manoranjan Mallick.

We are advising the farmers not to go for paddy cultivation in Att and Mal land and go for non paddy crop, Mallick said further.

According to sources, last year the Agriculture department undertook steps to promote Gurjee cultivation in the district by giving subsidy to farmers. This year that scheme has not been taken up due to shortage of funds and further official order.