ROURKELA: Even as rain-fed Sundargarh district continues to experience scattered and sporadic distribution of rainfall, the redundant method of measuring rainfall at block headquarters, which inevitably fails to reflect the true picture at gram panchayat (GP) level, has come under scanner.
If sources in the Agriculture Department are to be believed, a proposal to introduce rainfall measurement at GP level has been consigned to neglect without being given any serious thought.
With majority of the farmers in the district depending on monsoon for water intensive paddy crop, credible rainfall data are considered as crucial indicator of cultivation planning and activities.
Agriculturists claimed that over the past eight to 10 years, the monsoon behaviour is changing drastically with features like delayed monsoon, long dry spell and sporadic and scattered distribution pattern.
Agronomist PC Shaw said he found moderate rainfall lashing a radius of around five kms in Hathibari on Saturday while at the same time it was completely dry in Nuagaon block headquarters, about 10 kms away. He said similar phenomenon of erratic rainfall distribution is prevalent in the entire Panposh sub-division.
Under present circumstances, rain gauges containing funnels and measuring cylinders are fixed at all 17 block offices and measured by head clerks on a daily basis. The proposal had envisaged to fix rain gauges at GP offices with minimal spending and ensure getting reliable real-time rainfall information.
The district with an area of 3.13 lakh hectares (ha) has 17 blocks and 262 GPs spreading over 9,712 sq kms.
The rainfall measurement at any particular block headquarters often does not reflect the true picture of GPs situated far away.
Till June 26, the district recorded 58 per cent rainfall deviation, but which GPs received the most rainfall remains unknown. Several GPs are located 25 to 50 kms from their respective block headquarters. Rainfall figures at GP level also become necessary in the wake of National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS) which considers GPs as units to compensate farmers in the event of crop loss owing to deficit or excess rainfall.
Deputy Director of Agriculture (DDA) Narendra Behera said authentic rainfall figures at GP level would be vital indicators for micro agriculture planning. He said agriculture authorities with right micro level rainfall information could help in formulating effective action.