ROURKELA: Despite reports of several blocks under Sundargarh district suffering from deficit rainfall this monsoon, the district agriculture authorities following a joint verification in Balishankara and Kutra blocks submitted a report to the Agriculture department on Friday refuting claims of any adverse impact on crops.
The reports further stated that the paddy plants across the district were in good condition both in vegetative and early growth stages while significant achievements have also been made in cultivation of non-paddy crops.
Basing on the dismal rainfall data in the Odisha Weather Monitoring System (OWMS) especially for Balishankara and Nuagaon blocks, the Agriculture department had few days back sought a crop status report from the district. Following the directive, agriculture officers and tehsildars concerned conducted a joint verification in both the blocks and reportedly found no drought-like situation or adverse impact on agriculture operations.
As per the OWMS, Balishankara block in June, July and August saw 28 per cent (pc), 46.68 pc and 37.54 pc rain shortfall respectively, while Nuagaon block experienced 38 pc, 62 pc and 35 pc deficit rainfall in the said months.
In-charge chief district agriculture officer (CDAO) Harihar Nayak claimed paddy plants across the district were in good condition and the ground situation in Balishankara and Nuagaon blocks was better than the rainfall data which might have faced some anomaly.
Meanwhile, from its early target of covering 2.12 lakh hectare (ha) under paddy cultivation in this year’s kharif season, the district settled for paddy coverage area of about 1.96 lakh ha. This downward revision of paddy cultivation was because the remaining 16,000 ha of paddy farming areas were included for diversification to non-paddy crops under Crop Diversification Programme in Mega Lift Irrigation Projects (CDPMLIP).
Nayak said so far 18,065 ha of 29,500 ha have been covered with non-paddy crops under the CDPMLIP, adding by end of September remaining areas would be covered.