Drought fear forces state to put in place contingency plans

As per the Indian Meteorological Department,the state has witnessed 161.3 mm of rainfall — 50 per cent less than the normal amount — by the first week of July.

“The situation is not as bad as it is in north India. West Bengal has received considerable less rain this year but it has not been the same throughout the state. North Bengal region has received more rain in comparison to the plains. The sporadic monsoon means that less seeds have been sown,” said G C Barman,the director of agriculture and food products.

So far,only around 30 per cent of the total agricultural area has been cultivated when normally by this time around 70 per cent of the area is covered.

North Bengal remains an exception with around 60 per cent of the land being sown already.

The state agricultural department has,meanwhile,outlined a contingency plan with the help of experts to help farmers cope with the erratic monsoon schedule.

“We have asked the farmers to spread paddy seeds every 10 days on their fields. That apart we have also said that in places where the paddy plants have grown they can cut off a part of the plant and replant them in other places,” said Barman.

The department has also asked the farmers in western part of the state to plant pulses that can withstand the dry weather like corn instead of pulses that would require more water to be sown.

“Even in the case of jute,we have asked farmers to use the jute ribboner for getting the jute fibre instead of the age old process of soaking the wheat in water as that would require a lot of water,” said Barman.

The department has also taken steps to ensure that in case the monsoon fails this year the farmers would be asked to plant gram,masoor dal and boro paddy from the next Rabi season.

“If the monsoon fails completely then the state government will give financial support to the farmers to ensure that they tide over the drought season. But we are hoping that the monsoon regularises by August 15,” said Barman.

Sources at the state agriculture department said that the monsoon had not been erratic like this year in the last seven to eight years and that the pattern of monsoon will be monitored for the next two to three years to determine if the agricultural pattern of the state needs to be changed.

Even the weather department clarified that Wednesday’s rainfall was not a part of the normal monsoon and instead it took place due to a depression over north-west bay over Orissa coast.