Twenty-one districts are facing drought-like condition 

OdishaPlus Bureau

As many as 21 districts in Odisha have received lower than normal rainfall during the current monsoon season while there were 26.3% deficit rainfall recorded between June 1 and July 19. Revenue and disaster management minister Sudam Marndi informed it to the state assembly while making a statement on the possible drought-like situation in some districts due to deficit rainfall. Speaker Surya Narayan Patro had directed the minister to make a statement on the situation on Friday.

Only nine districts – Koraput, Khurda, Nabarangpur, Cuttack, Kalahandi, Jharsuguda, Puri, Malkangiri and Bargarh– have received normal rainfall, said the minister.

“The block-level survey shows of total 314 blocks, only 108 blocks have received normal rainfall while the remaining 206 blocks witnessed deficit rainfall. There were 59% deficit rainfall in at least 24 blocks of the state,” said Marandi.

Citing reports from the agriculture department, the minister said there was a slight delay in seed sowing process in some districts because of deficit rainfall.
“So far, seed sowing process has been undertaken over 20.99 lakh hectares of land including paddy seed sowing in 12.31 lakh hectares. Deficit rainfall has delayed the process of paddy sapling re plantation,” the minister pointed out.

On preparedness of the state government, the minister informed that the special relief commissioner’s office is reviewing the daily rainfall situation while a crop weather watch group committee has been constituted headed by agriculture production commissioner to keep a tab on the situation. A similar Central committee is also monitoring the situation on a weekly basis.