Baripada: As June, July and August recorded rainfall much less than the usual, the possibility of drought is getting real in 10 blocks of Mayurbhanj district.
The district administration is now thinking how to deal with the situation. The administration held an emergency meeting over the drought situation in the district under chairmanship of Collector Vineet Bhardwaj.
The Collector directed agriculture officials and officials of the irrigation and lift irrigation departments to take necessary measures to alleviate the situation in the areas sans irrigation facilities.
The meeting revealed that out of 26 blocks in the district, paddy farming in 10 blocks has been severely affected by deficit rainfall and the situation in these blocks is gradually turning grim by the day.
According to officials, there is little hope for paddy harvest in Shyamakhunta, Kaptipada, Bangiriposi, Kuliana, Saraskana, Jashipur, Raruan, Bahalda, Tiring and Jamkuda blocks where hectares of farmlands have cracked open for want of rain over last three months.
As per field surveys, paddy farming in 2,393 hectares in 54 panchayats under the 10 blocks has been affected by poor rainfall.
The Collector has directed the officials of the superintending engineer of the irrigation department, engineers of the mega irrigation projects, minor irrigation department and watershed mission to take necessary measures for irrigating the land and look for other alternative measures to save crops wherever possible.
Officials were also asked to operationalise defunct irrigation projects on a war footing and submit reports about it to the administration. Hundreds of acres of farmland have remained fallow in the district.
The Collector asked the agriculture officials to take steps to encourage farmers to raise non-paddy crops in the fallow land so that farmers would get a reprieve from the current situation.
According to reports, the district should have received an average of 360 mm rainfall in the monsoon, but 10 blocks have received rainfall much less than the normal.
It is said only 60 mm rainfall was received by the district by the third week of August. Hence, the situation in 10 blocks is grim, it is said.
PNN