BHAWANIPATNA: Inadequate rainfall has hit kharif cultivation in Kalahandi district. With farmers sowing seeds and transplanting saplings of different crops, including paddy and cotton, lack of rains has left them worried.
Deputy Director of Agriculture, Antaryami Malik, said farm activities have stopped due to water scarcity and erratic rainfall. Even the reservoirs of Indravati Major Irrigation project and 114 minor irrigation projects do not have sufficient water now.
Water in reservoir of Indravati project, which is considered the lifeline of Kalahandi, is lying low due to lack of rains in the catchment areas.
As on Saturday, the reservoir level of the project was 630.49 metre as against the optimum level of 642 metre.
In July last year, water level in the reservoir stood at 633 metre and it was 632.7 metre in 2017.
General Manager of hydropower corporation in Mukhiguda, Asis Kumar Mohanty, said as there was some rainfall on Friday and Saturday, they are hopeful that the situation will improve in the ensuing days.
In Hati barrage, as against the highest pond level of 265 metre, the present level is 240 metre and 6.50 cumec water is being released into the right canal and 21.89 cumec in left canal.
Of 2,01,857 hectare targeted to be brought under paddy cultivation, broadcasting of seeds has been done in 93,693 hectare and transplantation of saplings in only 1,315 hectare due to scanty rainfall.