Kharif Sowing Hit, Yogi Meets Officials
UP CM Yogi underlines that barring a few districts, the rainfall activity has been erratic and abnormal.
By VIRENDRA SINGH RAWAT
LUCKNOW, July 31 (The CIONNECT) – With the spectre of drought looming large on Uttar Pradesh owing to below normal rainfall so far, the Uttar Pradesh government is bracing up to counter adverse impact on the current kharif sowing cycle.
UP is among the leading agricultural producers in India and accounts for nearly 60 million tonnes (MT) of food grain output annually, thus contributing immensely to the food security of the country.
In the current monsoon season, nearly half of the total 75 districts in UP have received less than normal rainfall thus affecting the sowing of kharif crops, including paddy.
Against the kharif season sowing target of 9.62 million hectares (MH) in UP, the actual sowing stands at 7.87 MH, thus lower by 20 percent.
According to UP agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi, the state has witnessed more than 86 percent of paddy sowing.
Till July 28, the state received 281.2 mm rainfall in the current South-West monsoon spell, which is about 84.3 percent vis-à-vis normal downpour of 333.5 mm. The situation is grimmer in Eastern and Central UP than the Western region districts.
While the rainfall situation was satisfactory till July 15 with several districts recording even above normal downpour, the situation over the past two weeks, following deficient rainfall, upended the ground reality to worrisome for farmers.
Rainfall has been 20-60 percent lower than normal in about 35 districts including Pilibhti, Sant Kabirnagar, Mirzapur, Deoria, Kaushambi, Unnao, Mathura, Rae Bareli, Ayodhya, Ghazipur, Sitapur etc.
According to parameters, a region could be declared as drought hit if the rainfall activity remains 50 percent below normal for 3-4 weeks and the aggregate sowing is concomitantly below 75 percent. Other factors such as vegetation, soil moisture, reservoirs, surface water resources are also taken into account in such analysis.
Meanwhile, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath reviewed the situation to assess the ground reality with regards to rainfall and kharif sowing. He underlined that barring a few districts, the rainfall activity has been erratic and abnormal.
“The state government is committed to the welfare of farmers…whether the rainfall is deficient or excess, the farmers should not worry as the government is firmly standing with them,” he noted.
He directed officials to ensure that the kharif sowing is not affected owing to deficient rainfall by providing adequate water for irrigation by channelising river water through canals.
Besides, the irrigation and energy department have been put on high alert for servicing the farm sector. The canals would be guarded by police so that no illegal diversion of water takes place along its course.
Moreover, the state would also facilitate sowing of alternative crops in case the deficient rainfall phenomenon sustains in the coming weeks. The desilting of canals and energising tube wells has been taken up on a war footing to brace up for exigency.
