26% DEFICIT RAINS IN JULY, 32% IN AUGUST IN B’NGIR Tuesday, 30 August 2016 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

26% DEFICIT RAINS IN JULY, 32% IN AUGUST IN B’NGIR

Tuesday, 30 August 2016 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

1

2

3

4

5

1

Drought looks almost certain in Balangir district this year thanks to inadequate rainfall.

Everybody was expecting a normal monsoon rainfall this year and the prediction of the IMD had bolstered this. However, the expectation of farmers of the district was belied with the rains playing truant.

In the month of June, the district received only 81mm rains against the normal average rainfall of 202mm which delayed the agricultural operations.

However, the rainfall of July helped to start the agricultural operations in the district but still the rainfall was less by 32 per cent. Moreover, the rainfall was not equally distributed throughout the district.

Against the average rainfall of 360mm in the district in July, it received 244.7mm. Worse, in the month of August, the district has received 249 mm rainfall against the average of 333.6mm, a deficit by 26 per cent.

According to the Agriculture office sources, out of 14 blocks, 12 have been affected.

The worst affected blocks are Bongomunda, Titilagarh, Belpada, Tureikela and Muribahal blocks, besides other areas.

Agricultural operations like transplanting and beushoning have been held while according to an Agricultural Department report, agricultural operations have not been taken up in 28,500 hectares.

However, according to reports, cracks have appeared in the agricultural field due to absence of rains.

Unless there is good rainfall within next seven days throughout the district, we are heading for moisture stress condition, said Deputy Director of Agriculture Balangir Sridhar Das.