Heavy rains affect Rabi crops in MP

Another spell of heavy rainfall on Wednesday has destroyed hopes of farmers in Madhya Pradesh, which has been receiving torrential rains for the last two days.

Farmers have had no respite from rainfall during the last 24 hours and many districts, according to local weatherman, have received record rainfall in the last 24 hours.

"Bhopal has received 39.4 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours, which has never been recorded since 1935 when the weather observatory was established. Also, Dewas recorded 42 mm rainfall while Hoshangabad, Harda, Indore, Raisen and Vidisha received 28 mm, 22 mm, 31 mm, 28 mm and 20 mm rainfall respectively in the last 24 hours," said DP Dubey, director, Bhopal Meteorological department.

He has cited frequent and prolonged western disturbances for the unseasonal rainfall and this situation, he added, is likely to continue for another 24 hours.

According to farmers welfare and agriculture department, hailstorm struck 640 villages in 18 districts of the state. Hailstorm struck 93 villages in Seoni district, 90 in Dewas, 80 in Raisen, 72 in Umariya, 57 in Neemuch, among others.

According to the department, 37 districts have received rainfall between 15 mm and 50 mm in the last three days.

"The most-affected districts are Bhopal, Indore, Neemuch, Raisen, Balaghat, Hoshangabad, Dewas where damage to chana, masoor and wheat crops may rise, particularly in those areas where wind velocity is very high," Rajesh Rajora, principal secretary of the department said.

The local weather department also confirmed that barring 19 districts, almost all districts have received heavy rainfall or hailstorm. "Crop loss estimation will be difficult at this time but wheat has suffered the maximum damage. At least, 20-25% of wheat plant has got damaged," a senior official in agriculture department said.

"Normally this disturbance is observed in the last week of December or in the second week of January. The western disturbances and Nor'westers, which have resulted in rainfall and hailstorm, seems to be advancing eastwards and towards western Madhya Pradesh from tomorrow," Dubey said.

Madhya Pradesh is expecting production of more than 3 million tonnes of gram this year and 19.2 million tonnes of wheat. The state's total Rabi output last year (2012-13) stood at 21.26 million ton with per hectare yield of 2,038 kg.