Rains hit pockets of western Vidarbha, help paddy plantation in east

NAGPUR: Rains have brought some respite but have also affected crops in pockets of Vidarbha that are traditionally known for dry spells. Excessive rainfall has been recorded in pockets of Akola, Washim, Buldhana and Yavatmal.
According to data collected by the agriculture department, as many as 76 revenue circles have received more than 65 mm rainfall. This is the threshold limit to declare excessive rains in a given area. A joint survey will be conducted by the revenue and agriculture departments to assess losses to crops and other property in line with the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) norms, said government sources.
Each revenue circle has 4 to 10 villages depending on the size.
Districts like Buldhana, Washim and Akola have been prone to dry spells. Both Buldhana and Washim have suffered water shortages in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Akola has also been in the grip of water shortage from time to time.
This year, in Washim, 13 revenue circles have got excessive rainfall, while the number is 12 in Washim and 26 in Akola.
Yavatmal has been the most affected district, with 28 revenue circles affected. These are in Pusad, Umarkhed and Mohgaon talukas.
The Yavatmal district collector said water receded later in the day and there was no untoward incident. The likely damage to crops is also moderate and surveys will be carried out by the concerned talathi, said an official from agriculture department and the gram sevak.
Even as rains were needed, districts of western Vidarbha, which come under the Amravati division, have seen excess rains affecting crops in some of the revenue circles. However, the situation can still be salvaged, said agriculture department sources.
Advisories have been issued by the state’s agriculture department, asking farmers to remove water logged in their farms.
In eastern Vidarbha, rains have helped salvage the paddy crop. Transplantation of paddy shoots had been delayed due to the gap in rains. It could be resumed due to recent downpour. There are no reports of crops being affected in the Nagpur division, which covers eastern Vidarbha, said sources in the agriculture department.
Sachin Kulkarni, a water conservation activist from Washim, said, “The pockets that suffered some of the worst dry spells have received good rains this year. However, lack of proper management has also led to rainwater going waste. The choice of sites for dams and barrages could have been better to ensure more conservation.”