Low rainfall hits kharif plantation adversely

ALLAHABAD:The lilting tune of `Aaya Saawan jhoom ke' during the monsoons has been replacedthis year by `Gaya Saawan ghoom ke'. Rains have been extremely dismal this yeardue to which merely 50% of the total cultivable land in the region has beensowed so far. These crops too face the danger of survival in case the presentweather conditions of high temperatures and low rainfall continue.Allahabad district, with a total area of 5,49,589 hectares, utilises2,42,787 hectares for kharif plantation. While barely 50% of this land has comeunder sowing, there has been a shift from paddy to drought-resistant crops, saidAllahabad ADM (F&R) Ram Kewal.The reasons for this dismalshowing are clear. This year the month of June witnessed only 13.71 mm of rainagainst the average of 80.70 mm. Contrast this with last year, when June hadreceived 300.78 mm rainfall!Similarly, rainfall in the month of Julythis year has been merely 196.82 mm against an expected average of 303.40 mm.Years 2006 and 2008 witnessed rainfalls higher than the average, whereas thisyear rainfall has been almost halved. The first 11 days of the current monthhave witnessed only 20.62 mm vis a vis the month's average of 300.20 mm. Needone say more regarding the rainfall this year?The situation has beenfurther worsened by the sporadic spread of the as-it-is meagre rains. Inyesteryears, the rainfall was widespread, whereas this year the rains have beenvery sporadic. The figures represent the average of rainfall recorded at thetehsil headquarters, and thus the actual showers on any farm are much lesser,said Allahabad district magistrate Rajiv Aggarwal.Allahabad hasalready been declared drought-hit. The district can be divided into theYamunapar area, which includes four tehsils, and Gangapar area with threetehsils and Sadar tehsil in the Doaba area between the two mighty rivers, Gangaand Yamuna.Yamunapar region is the worst hit with the figures forsowing lower than the even the district average. It consists of mainly rocky anduneven land. The groundwater level in the area is very low and there are noavailable resources for irrigation. Thus crop irrigation is dependent uponrivers Belan and Tonks. River Belan too does not hold much water at present andTonks, a rain-fed river, is again dependent upon seasonal rain, said districtagriculture officer Ganesh Dubey.Gangapar area, though fertile withenough irrigation resources, has also been hit adversely by the low rainfallthis year. Sadar tehsil, the district headquarters, has hardly witnessed anyrain whatsoever. Thus, the entire district is facing acute shortage of waterrequired for sowing and survival of crops, he added.In the recentpast, Allahabad has been declared drought-hit in the years 2002-2003 and2004-2005, whereas it was flooded in 2003-2004, in between the two droughts.Three continuous years of calamities have had adverse impact on the economicstanding of the farmers here. Hence they are facing difficulty in survival andfending for their families.On being inquired regarding the remedialmeasures being taken up, the DM said, "the state government has already swunginto action. Free mini-kits of seeds are being distributed to small and marginalfarmers. Crop damage will be compensated, while recovery of agricultural dues isdeferred for a year. Stress is being laid on NREGA to provide alternateemployment.