Drought shadow looms large over Orissa

Is Orissa heading for another drought this year?

First there was a delayed monsoon and now the rains appear to be playing truant with most districts receiving less than the normal precipitation, official sources said.

While the state received 177.5 mm of rainfall during the June against the normal 216.5 mm accounting for a 18 per cent deficit, there was hardly any rainfall in July with only 118.9 mm rainfall recorded in Orissa till July 19 against the normal 208.3 mm for July, the sources said.

The shortfall during July so far has been 42.9 per cent. Official reports said the districts of Boudh, Sonepur, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Malkangiri, Nuapada, Bargarh, Balangir, Gajapati, Ganjam, Koraput, Rayagada, Puri, Jajpur and Khurda have received 30 to 50 per cent deficient rainfall. The situation was discussed at a meeting chaired by the revenue minister Manmohan Samal.

The meeting decided that water from the different reservoirs should be released immediately to help the crops wherever agriculture had started.

Agriculture secretary Hawa Singh Chahar, however, said that despite the fact that the rains had kept away, the condition of crops in the state had been good thus far. Chahar said the agriculture department had set targets for paddy cultivation in 38.21 lakh hectares during the current kharif, while having non-paddy crops in 20.21 lakh hectares. But till July 15 last, paddy had been sown in 16.12 lakh hectares, he said. "The government is prepared to take all possible steps to deal with the situation in view of the scarcity in rainfall," the revenue minister said.

The government would be issuing instructions to the district collectors to take steps to activate the lift irrigation points on priority basis to ensure irrigation to cropped areas, he said.

Sources said at least 26 out of the 30 districts in the state had received less than normal rainfall till now and the four districts which had received more than normal precipitation were Angul, Jharsuguda, Keonjhar and Sundargarh.

It is too early to say that the crops will be affected. We hope the situation might improve," a senior revenue department official said.

RAIN CHART

JUNE
Orissa had received 177.5 mm of rainfall during June against normal 216.5 mm, accounting for a 18% deficit

JULY
Only 118.9 mm rainfall was recorded in Orissa till July 19 against normal 208.3 mm.

THE SHORTFALL
The shortfall during July so far has been 42.9%