Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh has become rain deficient with more than half of its districts recording less than normal rainfall, due to pause in the south-west monsoon that has resulted in negligible rain across the state in the past 20 days.
Till Thursday, the state recorded 162 mm rainfall, slightly more than normal. Thirty-eight of the 75 districts in the state reported an average of 28% less rainfall in the monsoon season, while only 18 districts recorded rainfall normal rainfall. As per the Indian Metrological Department (IMD) data,, the western UP districts received less rainfall as compared to eastern UP districts. The average rainfall recorded in western UP between June 1 to July 8 was 80 mm, 35% less than the normal rainfall of 123.7 mm.
The districts which recorded the least rainfall as per the data are Gautam Buddha Nagar (-79%), Ghaziabad (-84%), Etawah (-72%), Lalitpur(-82%), Aligarh (-52%), Auraiya (-49 %), Baghpat (-64%), Bulandshahr (-62%), Mathura (-61%), Mahoba (-61%), Saharanpur (-69%), Shamli (-61%) and Farrukhabad (-74%).
Many of these districts are leading growers of paddy and sugarcane, two major kharif crops of the state. Experts believe that the lack of rain will affect the production of kharif crops in the state. “The lack of rain will affect paddy farmers more than those who have grown sugarcane in their farms. Paddy farms require excess water in the first 50 days after cultivation. The monsoon ensured the availability of this water. But this year, paddy farmers are forced to depend on tube -wells for water because of pause in monsoon. This will reduce the earning of farmers and will also cause rise in price of paddy,” explained farm economist Hitesh Chandra.
{{/usCountry}}Many of these districts are leading growers of paddy and sugarcane, two major kharif crops of the state. Experts believe that the lack of rain will affect the production of kharif crops in the state. “The lack of rain will affect paddy farmers more than those who have grown sugarcane in their farms. Paddy farms require excess water in the first 50 days after cultivation. The monsoon ensured the availability of this water. But this year, paddy farmers are forced to depend on tube -wells for water because of pause in monsoon. This will reduce the earning of farmers and will also cause rise in price of paddy,” explained farm economist Hitesh Chandra.
{{/usCountry}}However, the monsoon is likely to revive over the state,, bringing some respite to the farmers. According to the Indian Meteorology Department (IMD), the monsoon will cover the entire state by the end of this week. “The monsoon rain resumed in some eastern UP districts on Thursday. It is expected to cover the remaining parts of the state by Saturday,” said state MeT director JP Gupta.