After visiting seven districts of the State in two days to assess the severity of monsoon failure in Jharkhand this year, the Inter Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) concluded that situation of kharif crop was definitely alarming.
“We have requested some more information from Jharkhand Government as supplementary proposal for the drought before filing a recommendation report. It should not take much time. But our concerns are not just confined to the requested funds worth Rs 1,140 crore, but to make Jharkhand drought-proof in future,” stated Jalaj Srivastava, Additional Secretary of Union Agriculture Department, who is also leading IMCT on this visit.
As the three teams examined the situation firsthand in Ranchi, Palamu, Chaibasa, lohardaga, Ramgarh, Hazaribagh and Saraikela, IMCT found that crop production across the State has been dismal. A team also visited Ormanjhi and Kanke in Ranchi on Sunday, taking note of rainfall in the blocks during monsoon, crop production and arrangements made by the Government in preparedness for crop failure.
“The situation is same across the State. Fields have yielded 40 to 60 per cent of their actual capacity, with figures going as low as five per cent. This came to pass as farmers, expecting a bumper produce this year following signs of good monsoon initially, invested all they had in paddy. Even the seeds in stock were sowed, but the result was dreary as precipitation was not as per expectations,” said Srivastava.
Fields in low-lying areas might have done well, but this did not carried on to those in loftier regions, Srivastava added. “At places, the crop has failed entirely. There are spikes but no grains in some. Those who opted for pulses had lush green fields, but those beside them were parched and dry,” he said.
Agreeing on the fact that the situation is as bad as presented, Srivastava advocated long-term plans to prevent recurrence of such calamities in near future. “The fact is that there is a need for making some more efforts from the levels of panchayat to State Government so that dry periods do not remain an inconvenience in the future. All possible help will be given by the Centre,” stated Srivastava.
As of now, several officers of Indian Administrative Services and Indian Forest Services are formulating district irrigation plan, specific to a particular district, in accordance to the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, he informed.
Old irrigation systems that have lost their efficiency should be brought up to speed, he further added, and this can be done even with contributions from the locals in terms of labour and cost, without waiting for the Government to act.
“Climate has changed a great deal in recent years, making it unpredictable. We have to wake up. We can’t remain dependent on rains alone for irrigation. Revival of old irrigation systems as well as making new ones is imperative. After assessing the situation, we can suggest measures to make concerned agencies more responsible in panchayats, State and Centre,” he further said. On providing the assistance requested by State in fighting the drought, he assured that it will be done shortly.