Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday directed senior officials of his government to constitute a team in all 75 districts to assess the drought situation, an official spokesperson said here.
These teams will oversee work in their respective districts and ensure relief to drought-hit farmers, he said.
The chief minister has also sought a report from all district magistrates within a week regarding the drought situation in their areas, the official said.
The district officers will be held accountable for negligence and delay in sending their reports to the government and providing relief to the farmers, the spokesperson said.
He said there was below-average rainfall in 62 districts of the state. To provide relief to farmers, tax realisation in the affected districts will remain suspended, he said, adding that tube well power bill realisation will also be postponed and their connections will not be snapped. The rent will remain suspended in the affected districts.
Yogi Adityanath also said the Irrigation Department would ensure the availability of water in the canals for irrigation, and that the Energy Department had been directed to increase power supply in the rural areas so that affected farmers could get some relief, according to the spokesperson.
The chief minister has also directed officials to provide seeds of pulses, oilseeds and vegetables to the farmers.
So far this monsoon, Uttar Pradesh has received 40 per cent less rainfall than normal. There should have been 634 mm of rain by now but it is 347.4 mm.
Of these, the districts of western Uttar Pradesh are yearning for the most normal rainfall. Baghpat and Ghaziabad have received 78 per cent of the normal rainfall, Jyotiba Phule Nagar, Rampur, besides Kanpur Dehat, Kushinagar, Jaunpur, Gautam Buddha Nagar are the districts where more than 70 per cent of the rainfall is below normal. The state government is keeping a close eye on the monsoon. The chief minister’s office is reviewing the situation on a daily basis. Rainfall data is also being taken every week from the Meteorological Department. Officials and the Meteorological Department are of the opinion that if this indifference of rain continues, then many districts of the state may have to be declared drought-hit.
Top ten districts with below normal rainfall are Baghpat (78 per cent less), Ghaziabad (less than 78 per cent), Rampur (less than 72 per cent), Jyotibaphule Nagar (less than 72 per cent) Kanpur Dehat (less than 72 per cent), Kushinagar (less than 71 per cent), Gautam Buddha Nagar (less than 71 per cent), Jaunpur (less than 70 per cent), Shahjahanpur (less than 67 per cent), Sant Kabir Nagar (less than 65 per cent).