Owing to scanty rains in Uttar Pradesh till July 14 the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) has asked Uttar Pradesh government to declare the state as ‘drought-hit’.
BKU president Chaudhary Naresh Tikait has written a letter to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav asking him to declare the state as drought-affected. The little rains has damaged crops. They have lost almost 40 per cent of crop till now and if the trend continues the loss would be 100 per cent. Farmers are the worst affected,” he said.
Most of the farmers are now growing paddy, which needs adequate water. With failed rain the canals too have gone dry affecting irrigation of kharif crop, he said.
The BKU leader further asked the government to provide 16-hours uninterrupted power supply, besides ensuring cheaper diesel to the cultivators in such a situation.
The Samajwadi Party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhry however said that the Government has made adequate arrangements to provide relief to the farmers. “This goes without saying that western Uttar Pradesh has received less rains by 73 per cent while in the Bundelkhand it was shorter by 32 per cent. In Eastern UP, the situation is less serious where the short fall is around 28 per cent,” he said.
“Officials at the village level have been asked to provide all relief. The government is keeping a close watch on the situation. In view of a probable drought-like situation, UP government has directed the senior officers to submit their action plan immediately to tackle the situation,” he said.