PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, July 11: Poor monsoon rainfall has dealt a severe blow to paddy plantations in the state.
While agriculture scientists sounded an alarm that June and July’s rainfall deficit in several districts were affecting paddy plantations, weather scientists predicted that the monsoon may not get revived within the next three-four days.
According to IMD statistics, till July 10, the state received 152 mm of rainfall against a normal of 285mm — a deficit of 47 per cent. The deficit was 70 per cent in Chatra and Pakur while Sahibganj has notched a deficit of 78 per cent so far.
Sahibganj and Chatra have received a meagre 76 mm of rain while Pakur has so far received a little more than 100 mm of rain.
“Farmers are not able to prepare their land for plantation of Kharif crops because of insufficient rainfall,” said an official at the state agriculture department.
Paddy plantation in Santhal Pargana districts was also affected.
“About 10- 20 per cent of the land may not receive paddy plantation this year because of poor rainfall, which would affect overall rice production,” he pointed out.
Farmers are worried as the overall coverage of Kharif crops is only 5.32 per cent against the total target of 28.27 lakh hectares of land till the first week of July.
The coverage of paddy, the main crop of the season, is mere 3.15 per cent against the target of 18 lakh hectares. The coverage was recorded only from six districts where direct sowing is going on.
Ranchi, Gumla, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, Lohardaga, Latehar, Ramgarh, Khunti and several other districts received far less than normal.
Weathermen said light to moderate rainfall will be recorded in various parts of Jharkhand till mid-July. Thereafter, the monsoon is expected to revive once again over the state.
