Drought spoils summer paddy prospects in Chhattisgarh

With most of the reservoirs in Chhattisgarh stocking below average water due to less rainfall, the state government is on move to discourage farmers from taking summer paddy or Rabi paddy. Of the 1.8 million hectares area for Rabi, summer paddy is sown in 200,000 hectares.

“The department of irrigation has been directed to launch an extensive campaign to promote oilseed and pulses crops instead of summer paddy during Rabi 2017-18,” Chief Minister Raman Singh said. An awareness drive for the farmers is also on the card.

Besides, the department has also been asked to ensure supplying sufficient quantity of mini-kits of oilseed and pulse seeds to the farmers. While the Chhattisgarh government has set a target to distribute 156,000 mini-kits, it has urged the Centre to provide 400,000 mini-kits of oil seeds and pulse seeds.

Following the Chief Minister’s directive, the irrigation department has swung into action to convince the farmers to avoid summer paddy in the coming Rabi crop season. The sowing of summer paddy in the state normally starts by December end.

The Chief Secretary, Vivek Dhand has issued a circular to all the divisional commissioners and district collectors asking to discourage summer paddy cropping. He said ensuring water for drinking and other purposes for the people was top on the priority.

According to water resources department officials, canal irrigation is the major source for the summer paddy. Since over 62 per cent tehsils in the state are facing nature’s fury and declared drought-hit, the state government is in a fix to provide water to the farmers for Rabi crops.

The state government has declared 96 tehsils of the 149 in the state's 21 districts as drought hit. The decision was taken on the basis of the report submitted by the district authorities regarding Kharif crop output.