UP: Half Of State Facing Drought-Like Situation, Centre Releases ₹100 Crore For Bundelkhand's 5 Districts

Lucknow: After a good start in early last month, the monsoon has dithered from Uttar Pradesh.  Around half of UP districts have been facing drought-like situations with Bundelkhand and eastern districts being the worst hit. After two consecutive years of normal monsoon, Bundelkhand is suffering from scarcity of water this time. The central government has released ₹100 crore for five districts of Bundelkhand namely Banda, Chitrakoot, Jhansi, Mahoba and Jalaun.

In the 33 districts of eastern UP there has been only 64.8 percent rain than normal. Worst is the situation in Sant Kabirnagar, Mirzapur, Kaushambi, Deoria and Mau where the rainfall has been 60 to 99 percent less than normal. In Pilibhit district of central UP, there has been only 20 percent more rainfall than expected in the whole of July. The officials of Irrigation department said that due to less rains the water level in prominent reservoirs has gone drastically down. The 71 big reservoirs have only 26.83 water left of the total capacity.  

UP CM reviews the situation

The UP Chief Minister held a meeting with the senior officials to review the situation of monsoon in the state. In the meeting the officials informed that 41 percent below normal rain has been recorded in 33 districts of state. The situation of rainfall is grim in seven districts of east UP and Pilibhit. The CM asked the officials to review the situation of rainfall every fortnight and take necessary steps to provide relief to farmers.

The officials of the Relief Department in UP informed that any district can be declared drought hit if 50 percent less than normal rainfall is recorded for three consecutive weeks. Though in the month of July 281.2 millimeter rainfall has been recorded in the entire UP which is 84.3 percent of the normal. However they said that rainfall has not been even in the state as the west UP districts have recorded more rain compared to east and Bundelkhand.

Paddy sowing takes a hit

The officials in the agriculture department said that due to poor rainfall in the last three weeks, paddy sowing has been affected.  Against the target of 58.50 lakh hectare of paddy sowing this season, the farmers have planted 50.35 lakh hectare so far owing to good rains in early July. According to officials the plantation has now affected sowing of the late variety of paddy due to poor rainfall in east UP.