The heavy rain due to Cyclone Komen, according to the agricultural scientists, will prove to be a boon for the paddy crops this season as there will be a tremendous increase in crop cover due to heavy rain in the last few days. Due to incessant rain in Jharkhand almost every part of the state including arid zones like Palamu, Garhwa and latehar becomes surplus water zone. Vegetable rates however, reached all time high as heavy rains damaged the ready crops in the state.
“As there has been better rainfall this year and the transplantation of paddy has been satisfactory till date, we expect better crop this year,” said Palamu DC K Shrinivasan. Produce of other crops including maize and pulses are also expected to touch a remarkable high this year, said the DC.
Palamu for the first time, in the last one decade has witnessed widespread rainfall, contributing to a statewide surplus of 27 per cent, the second highest since 2008 when it was recorded as 30 per cent. Remarkably 80 mm of rainfall was recorded in Daltonganj while lohardaga and latehar both drenched in 70mm of rainfall.
Agricultural Scientists are also predicting a better crop this year as there has been a better coverage of paddy fields this year.
“Overall produce across the state will also be better as the transplantation of saplings got speeded up following stagnation of water in the paddy fields,” said Agricultural Scientist at Birsa Agricultural University A Wadood.
Though rainfall will always be better for paddy, but due excessive rain and water stagnation, vegetable crop has been adversely affected resulting into a steep rise of vegetable prices across the state, Wadood added.
Professor of Agriculture Physics and Meteorology Ramesh Kumar also asserted that due to excessive stagnation of water due to heavy rainfall in vegetable fields in some of the low laying areas, there has been intense loss of vegetable crops.
According to official records, highest rainfall was recorded at Raidih in Gumla with 140 mm followed by Kurdeg in Simdega (120mm) while Bagodar in Giridih recorded 110 mm. Each of Simdega and Hazaribagh however, recorded 100 mm of rainfall.
The reports also asserted that Mandar in Ranchi and Madhupur in Deoghar recorded 60mm each each while Koleibera of Simdega, Hindgir of Ranchi and Barki Suraiya of Giridih experienced 50mm of rainfall . Bokaro received 20mm and Jamshedpur and Dhanbad saw around 10mm each.
The meteorological officials further added that a widespread and uniform rainfall has helped 21 districts including Ranchi and East Singhbhum marking surplus figures while West Singhbhum, Sahebganj and Khunti could achieve normal rain this year.
Jharkhand on the other hand, has so far received 720mm of rainfall against a normal of 566.5mm contributing to the state surplus of 27 per cent.