Deficit rains pushing Jharkhand towards drought

The smile on the face of farmers in Jharkhand is fading as deficit rainfall is threatening to push the state towards drought.

The rain situation worsened in August and it further worsened in September, said a report that was made available on Wednesday.

"The paddy crops are green and now the crops are slowly getting fading as no rain has taken place in the state," said Anuj Mahto, a farmer.

Cracks can also be seen in fields.

Ranchi has witnessed 800.3 mm rain against average rainfall of 1,229 mm.

The situation of the 12 of the 24 districts is quite bad. According to Met Office, the state is unlikely to get good rainfall in the coming days.

Besides, Jharkhand lacks proper irrigation system. Only 12 percent of the total cultivable land has an irrigation system.

The major irrigation projects are pending for last 20 to 30 years in the state.

The state agriculture department is keeping a close eye on the situation.

"We are monitoring the situation. If it is not raining, we cannot do anything. We hope the situation will improve if the state gets rain in next seven-eight days," Jharkhand Agriculture Secretary Nitin Kulkarni told IANS.