Akhilesh Yadav said that due to scanty rain, the farmers and the people were facing problems

Expressing concern over the drought-like situation in the Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said that due to scanty rain, the farmers and the people were facing problems and the state had sought assistance from the Centre to meet this crisis.

“The state Government has sent a report about the possibility of drought situation in majority of the districts of Uttar Pradesh. The officials are in touch with their counterparts at the Centre. The state is awaiting directions from the Government of India in this regard,” Yadav told reporters here on Wednesday.He said the issue of drought-like situation in Uttar Pradesh had been raised at different quarters. “We have opened the official channel while the Samajwadi Party members have raised this issue in Parliament. They also have sought the Centre’s assistance,” he said.

As many as 49 of the 75 districts in the state are facing drought-like situation. Western UP is the most affected region where the rainfall has been 73 per cent less. In the Bundelkhand, the rainfall has been 32 per cent less. In Eastern UP, the situation is less serious as the shortfall in rain is around 28 per cent.“The state Government has already distributed some compensation in Bundelkhand region with Centre’s assistance but we need bigger support,” Yadav said.

When the Chief Minister was asked whether the Government would go for any religious ceremony to appease the ‘Rain God’, Yadav said: “It is the responsibility of Centre to do so. The party which is at the Centre is expert in such ceremonies.”Meanwhile, Relief Commissioner Kishan Singh Atoria said that though it was early to declare UP a drought-hit state, the Government was ready with all precautionary measures. 

“The district officials have been asked to immediately send their action plan to tackle the situation,” he added.Directives have also been issued to re-bore 50 hand pumps in each block, besides making necessary arrangements for storage of animal feed, water in ponds for cattle and foodgrain for the poor people.