E-Paper
Drought like situation in East UP
THE SPECTRE of drought is looming large in eastern districts due to less rain in the region in the last three weeks. The district is reeling under drought-like situation and paddy crops would be damaged if the situation does not improve within the next seven days. Admitting that the situation was serious, deputy director agriculture RK Singh said the region had received 30 percent less rainfall than average. He said the situation was not alarming but there was a cause for concern.
THE SPECTRE of drought is looming large in eastern districts due to less rain in the region in the last three weeks.
The district is reeling under drought-like situation and paddy crops would be damaged if the situation does not improve within the next seven days. Admitting that the situation was serious, deputy director agriculture RK Singh said the region had received 30 percent less rainfall than average. He said the situation was not alarming but there was a cause for concern.
Singh said kharif crop largely depended on monsoon and deficit rainfall had increased the worries of the farmers.
Overall 30 percent deficit in rainfall had damaged the paddy crop and the quite long interval in the rainfall had brought paddy planting to a grinding halt. He said poor farmers of the region could not afford Rs 26 per litre diesel to irrigate their paddy fields.
Responding to a question, Singh said they had sent a report to the Governor and expressed hope that moderate rainfall in the coming week would cover up the loss. According to reports, average 1.7-lakh acre land in the district is cultivatable but the farmers have yet not planted paddy in around 30 per cent land. He admitted that the last week of June and first week of July brought moderate rain but long dry spell for the last three weeks was a cause for concern.Meanwhile, the city received little rainfall on Thursday, which provided some relief to the people from hot weather.
