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National

Deficit rainfall hits sowing

Gargi Parsai

Sharad Pawar reviews situation; contingency plans ready

NEW DELHI: Deficient rainfall in parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka has hit kharif sowing of pulses, cotton, pearl millet (jowar), groundnut and sugarcane. Already the prices of these commodities are rising, causing concern to the government. Fodder shortage is also anticipated.

Agriculture and Food Minister Sharad Pawar held a review meeting with senior officials of the departments concerned and the India Meteorological Department here on Friday.

It was decided to “wait and watch” the monsoon pattern till July 31 before operationalising contingency plans for late sown, short-duration and alternative crops in the regions hit by water stress.

Expressing optimism, IMD officials forecast a “southward shift of the monsoon trough from Saturday and subsequently formation of a low pressure area over the west-central and Bay of Bengal.” This would enhance rainfall activity over central and peninsular India in the next three or four days.

The meeting noted that the area under paddy was 170.06 lakh hectares, compared to 143.06 lakh hectares in the corresponding period last year.

However, the area under groundnut was 34.88 lakh hectares against 38.63 lakh hectares the same time last year. Sunflower, niger and castor also registered a fall, maily because of water deficit in parts of Karnataka and the Saurashtra and Kutch regions of Gujarat.

The area under pearl millet has so far been 13.39 lakh hectares (18.48 lakh hectares last year). The major shortfall is in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

The sown area under cotton too is only 69.74 lakh hectares, down from 79.23 lakh hectares. The major shortfall is in the drought-hit Vidarbha region of Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Sugarcane cultivation has been hit in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra. Against 52.95 lakh hectares last year, only 43.67 lakh hectares has been covered.

In the case of pulses, the area sown is 63.81 lakh hectares (77. 75 lakh hectares last year). There is a shortfall in cultivation of arhar, moong and urad in parts of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. While arhar shortfall can be made up in rabi, urad and moong sowing season is almost over, say officials.

Level in reservoirs

The total live storage in 81 important reservoirs monitored by the Central Water Commission is 44.157 billion cubic metres on July 24, as against 81.277 BCM the same day last year.

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