Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Tuesday expressed concern over prevailing drought-like situation as about 60 per cent less rain has been recorded in the State this year.
Hooda reviewed the prevailing situation in a meeting with senior officers here and directed them to submit their reports immediately so that a memorandum could be submitted to the Central Government. He directed the officers of Irrigation, Power, Public Health Engineering, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Cooperation and Rural Development Departments to submit the estimates to the Revenue Department by Wednesday evening so that the same could be sent to the Central Government for further action.
Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture, Roshan lal said that based on the loss so far suffered due to less rain and what the Agriculture Department foresees, it has prepared estimates amounting to Rs 1,753 crore.
He said that 74 per cent less rainfall has been recorded in Fatehabad, 77 per cent in Hisar, 72 per cent in Jind, 71 per cent in Panchkula, 82 per cent in Ambala and 72 per cent in Sonepat.
Secretary, Power Department, Anil Malik said at present 20 crore units of electricity are being provided daily by the power utilities to agriculture sector so as to save the paddy crop from getting dry. He said that nine per cent more power was given to agriculture sector in the month of June this year, 17 per cent more in the month of July and 104 per cent more in August.
He said that as per the Agromet Department, it is expected that there would be less rain in the month of September too. Therefore, 105 per cent more power would have to be supplied in the month of September.
Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Dr. KK Khandelwal said the Bhakra and Pong Dam are 27 feet and 13 feet below the storage capacity level respectively.