The possibility of Dharwad district being affected by drought seems real as the region has not received adequate rainfall.
Officials in the Department of Agriculture are worried that if the dry spell continues for one more week, the situation will further worsen.
Farm activities hit
Agricultural activities have already been hit owing to deficient monsoon.
The district received 387.08 mm rainfall till July-end last year. However, this year, the district has got only 176 mm rainfall so far.
Dharwad and Kalghatgi taluks have received more than 170 mm rainfall, while Hubli recorded 100 mm, Kundgol 113 mm, and Navalgund 40 mm rainfall.
The deficient monsoon has adversely affected farmers’ hopes, particularly those who are cultivating short-term crops such as green gram.
Unlikely target
A total of 25,000 hectares was the target set for sowing of green gram, but the deficient rainfall has made this unlikely. The condition of farmers cultivating long-term crops is not too different. They have already made preparations to buy seeds and fertilizer and begin sowing but are left with no option but to pray for rain.
Sowing
According to Agriculture Department officials, the district should have received good rainfall in June and the middle of July. Last year, till July-end, sowing had been completed on 1.55 lakh hectares.
However, this year, so far, sowing has been completed on only 90,000 hectares, officials said.
Of the total area where sowing has been taken up, a large area falls under Dharwad taluk and some parts of Hubli, Kalghatgi and Kundagol taluks.
However, Navalgund taluk had registered only 1 per cent sowing till date, the officials said.
The officials said that according to experts there is a possibility of the region receiving normal rainfall in the last week of July.
