The drizzling since October 14 in various parts of Chhattisgarh is an indication of monsoon withdrawing from the State. The scenario is likely to remain the same during the next 24 hours.
“The change in weather clearly shows the withdrawal of South-West Monsoon bringing heavy showers. The cloud formations over Bastar and Northern districts are due to the North-West Monsoon which results in low rainfall,” said Ml Sahu, Director, Meteorological Department, Raipur on Thursday.
“Such a kind of weather is a hint that winter will soon arrive across the State,” he added.
Meanwhile, GK Das, Head of Agrometeorology Department, Indira Gandhi Agriculture University (IGAU) said the monsoon withdrawal from neighbouring states of Chhattisgarh namely Jharkhand, Bihar and Odisha has taken place.
“Compared to other states, winter always arrives late in Chhattisgarh. It is predicted to start here in the next 10 to 15 days,” said Das.
Notably, on October 8, the latest Weather Forecast Report released by Indira Gandhi Agriculture University (IGAU) mentioned a downfall in the minimum temperature of the State from 34 degrees celsius to 33 degrees celsius on October 10 and 11 respectively.
Notably, sowing for crops by farmers during the forthcoming Rabi season would be taken up in an area of 10.2 lakh hectares in Raipur division.
This was informed by officials attending a review meeting chaired by Agriculture Production Commisioner Ajay Singh at the new circuit house in the city recently.
Singh during the review meeting convened for Raipur and Durg divisions also asked officials to encourage farmers to take up pulses and oilseeds crops during the summer season instead of paddy on the their fields.
The officials also informed that sowing in 6.07 lakh hectares had been proposed in Durg division for the Rabi season.
It may also be recalled that Chhattisgarh government would now come to the aid of farmers with extension of 'seed funding deadline' whose crops were damaged due to scanty rainfall while leaving their farm lands without any crop output for the Kharif season.
Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agarwal said Tehsil farmers whose Kharif crops are damaged due to drought or other seasonal effects will receive the Seeding Funding amount till December 31. The date is extended for the sake of farmers, officials stated.
Farmers can get the amount only from the Processing Centres functional under Seed and Agriculture Development Corporation or its cooperative societies, he said.Agarwal said details about the Seed Funding extension can be collected from the Field Officers of the Agriculture Department.
Moreover, in yet another relief measure for the farmers in drought-hit tehsils, the Chhattisgarh government had also decided to provide a grant to operate diesel pumps for irrigation of Kharif crops.
A circular in this regard was issued from Agriculture Department in Mantralaya to Director (Agriculture), all collectors and Deputy Director of Agriculture Department posted in the districts .