MYSURU: Of the 30 districts in Karnataka, 22 are still struggling to pick up the pieces in the aftermath of one of the worst floods that the state has recorded in recent history.
However, Chamarajanagar is not one of them, and although the residents of the district are wont to count themselves lucky at having been spared a taste of nature’s callousness, the district neighbouring Mysuru, is however reeling under yet another drought, and the sight of withering crops dotting several agricultural fields attests to the severity of the problem. Chamarajanagar has received very little to no rain in the past three weeks, and many standing crops ripe for harvest are in danger of dying, which is likely to further aggravate the agrarian crisis in the state.
Data from the agriculture department indicates that, as of September, the overall sowing activity in Chamarajanagar has touched 70.76% of the desired target, with Yalandur taluk achieving the best results at 80.4%, and Chamarajanagar taluk bringing up the tail at 54.2%. “Of the 1,37,770 hectares earmarked for sowing across the district, only 97,4802 hectares are being cultivated. However, this is a marked improvement compared to the crisis the farming sector found itself in last year, wherein sowing activity was restricted to just 65% of the earmarked area,” said an official in the agriculture department.
According to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), Chamarajanagar has registered 41% deficit rainfall between September 1 and 19. Farmers in Begur, Lokanahalli, Hanur, Ramapura and surrounding villages are a perturbed lot and the sight of their wilting crops is filling their hearts with dread.
Farmers in Chamarajanagar are mostly engaged in the cultivation of millets, corn and paddy. “The district received good rainfall in 2017, and it has been a fallow spell since. If there is no rain in the next few days, we fear for our standing crops,” said Manohara Sannappa, a farmer in Begur.
KSNDMC director Srinivasa Reddy, however, is not very optimistic about the weather in Chamarajanagar changing anytime soon. Pointing out that there were no major systems in the vicinity that could precipitate rainfall in the district for the next week, Reddy added, “The rainfall in the district for the month of September is bound to be below normal.”
Reddy said that the whole of South Interior Karnataka was likely to register deficit rainfall in September.
On the other hand, authorities in the agriculture department are worried about the fate of the standing crops in the district.
However, Chamarajanagar is not one of them, and although the residents of the district are wont to count themselves lucky at having been spared a taste of nature’s callousness, the district neighbouring Mysuru, is however reeling under yet another drought, and the sight of withering crops dotting several agricultural fields attests to the severity of the problem. Chamarajanagar has received very little to no rain in the past three weeks, and many standing crops ripe for harvest are in danger of dying, which is likely to further aggravate the agrarian crisis in the state.
Data from the agriculture department indicates that, as of September, the overall sowing activity in Chamarajanagar has touched 70.76% of the desired target, with Yalandur taluk achieving the best results at 80.4%, and Chamarajanagar taluk bringing up the tail at 54.2%. “Of the 1,37,770 hectares earmarked for sowing across the district, only 97,4802 hectares are being cultivated. However, this is a marked improvement compared to the crisis the farming sector found itself in last year, wherein sowing activity was restricted to just 65% of the earmarked area,” said an official in the agriculture department.
According to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), Chamarajanagar has registered 41% deficit rainfall between September 1 and 19. Farmers in Begur, Lokanahalli, Hanur, Ramapura and surrounding villages are a perturbed lot and the sight of their wilting crops is filling their hearts with dread.
Farmers in Chamarajanagar are mostly engaged in the cultivation of millets, corn and paddy. “The district received good rainfall in 2017, and it has been a fallow spell since. If there is no rain in the next few days, we fear for our standing crops,” said Manohara Sannappa, a farmer in Begur.
KSNDMC director Srinivasa Reddy, however, is not very optimistic about the weather in Chamarajanagar changing anytime soon. Pointing out that there were no major systems in the vicinity that could precipitate rainfall in the district for the next week, Reddy added, “The rainfall in the district for the month of September is bound to be below normal.”
Reddy said that the whole of South Interior Karnataka was likely to register deficit rainfall in September.
On the other hand, authorities in the agriculture department are worried about the fate of the standing crops in the district.
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