Odisha govt draws up action plan to tackle possible drought

BHUBANESWAR: As large parts of the State are experiencing 28 to 50 per cent deficit rainfall and kharif crops heading for moisture stress condition, the State government on Monday decided to chalk out a comprehensive action plan to tackle an imminent drought situation.

“The cumulative rainfall in the State during this monsoon is 28 pc below average and the deficit in the agriculturally crucial month of August is over 50 per cent of the normal,” said Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Secretary Suresh Vashishth after a meeting with district collectors. 

He added that moisture stress condition of paddy crops have been reported in 30 blocks of 15 districts and it would be difficult to save the crops if the current situation prevails for five more days. Transplantation and beusaning have been halted in five blocks of Rayagada district, four blocks each of Angul and Dhenkanal, three blocks of Keonjhar, two blocks each in Balangir, Boudh and Jajpur districts and one block each in Bhadrak, Ganjam, Gajapati, Jharsuguda, Nabarangpur, Nayagarh and Sambalpur. 

Govt draws up action plan to tackle possible drought

Chief Secretary Suresh Mahapatra reviewed the rainfall situation and crop conditions in the State with district collectors at a high-level meeting here. He asked them to explore the possibility of irrigation from existing water sources to affected areas on a rotational basis. This should be done in consultation with pani panchayats and farmers. While they were advised to repair defunct lift irrigation (LI) points on war footing, power distribution companies have been directed to supply electricity to new LI points and points having some issues like non-payment of arrear bills.

Mahapatra further directed the collectors to prepare crop contingency plans at panchayat level in consultation with stakeholders. The contingency plan prepared by the Agriculture department will be the basis for formulation of the action plan.

Vashishth said farmers will be advised to undertake alternative non-paddy crops in areas where drought is imminent and possibility of saving the standing crops is remote. The Odisha State Seeds Corporation has been advised to keep non-paddy seeds ready for distribution to the farmers in the affected areas.

The erratic monsoon is not only a setback to the crops but also has rendered a large number of agricultural workers jobless. To address the problem, the State government directed collectors to provide them employment opportunities under MGNREGA and other government activities.

RSS chief on five-day visit to Odisha from today
Bhubaneswar: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will come to Odisha on a five-day visit beginning August 24. Bhagwat will meet some eminent personalities of the State on Wednesday. The next day he will proceed to Puri for darshan of Lord Jagannath. The RSS chief will discuss organisational issues with leaders of different frontal organisations of the Sangha in the next three days of his stay.