Rain relief for drought-hit Jharkhand

While North India is reeling under heavy rainfall,for the states farmers it has brought cheer

With a song on their lips,three women work on their field in ankle-deep water,removing weeds from around the newly sprouted green paddy plants. Their kin,Sumana,working on the adjacent field,hums along. This scene in Sisai village would have been unimaginable till barely three weeks ago.

For the first time,all the 24 districts of Jharkhand had been declared drought-hit,but incessant rains during the past three weeks changed the situation,ushering in hope and cheer for the farmers.

For the second consecutive year,monsoon,on which farmers are heavily dependent,had failed them. The deficit in rain had left large tracks of land barren,and there was shortage of water for cattle. Even ponds,wells and dams such as Gonda,Rukka and Dhurva that supplied water to residents in Ranchi,had less than 30 per cent of their total capacity. Just when the entire state was in deep despair,incessant rains filled up the water bodies to more than half of their capacity.

This is a big relief. Now we will not face water crisis till the peak of summer, says Ashok Kumar,Deputy Secretary of the PHED,who is incharge of the dams.

In Sisai village of Gumla district,the ponds and wells were full of water. This has prompted Sumana to till his 2.5 acres of land and sow paddy seedlings and now,these green seedlings are almost two feet in height. In the past we sowed the seeds in June-July. But this time since it began to pour this month,we undertook sowing and transplantation in September. We hope the rains will continue so that we can harvest by January, says Sumana.

The state government had sought Rs 5,000 crore package to deal with the drought situation. In response,the Centre had sent a team of experts and subsequently,on the basis of reports submitted by them,released nearly Rs 1,000 crore. Although this money has not been spent till date,farmers like Sumana are not complaining.

In Kudu village in Lohardaga district,a farmer has undertaken cultivation of maize in 1.5 acres and another has planted pulse in his 2.5 acres of land.

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A few miles away in Thakurgaon village in Ranchi,Murli Manjhi says,Our crisis is far from over. But one thing is sure,our cattle will not starve.

The story from across the fields is largely the same,with the state agriculture department claiming that against the target of sowing in 1,692 hectares on September 22,the farmers have sowed paddy in 402.019 hectares. The transplantation work is still on. We hope the rains will continue and the state will be able to produce 30 per cent of its net target, says Agriculture Secretary Arun Kumar Singh.