ROURKELA: Amid sporadic and erratic distribution of rainfall, farmers and agriculture experts in the rain-fed Sundargarh district have proposed monitoring and measurement of rainfall at panchayat level. The proposal would help farmers make effective crop planning and prepare against prospects of crop loss.
Sources said at present, rainfall is being measured at the headquarters of 17 blocks in the district and uploaded to Odisha Rainfall Monitoring System (ORMS) website. Due to unequal distribution pattern of rainfall and erratic behaviour of monsoon over the last seven to eight years, the agriculture authorities are unable to get right picture of rainfall at the panchayat and village levels. During drought-like or flood-like situation, farmers are inevitably left in the lurch in absence of timely information.
Lathikata Sarpanch and farmer Bijay Xalxo said Lathikata block is claimed to have received 72 mm rainfall till June 18, but majority areas of the block either did not receive any rain or received very less rain. He said some times, an area witnesses heavy rain, while places a few kms away remain totally dry. Some panchayats are located more than 60 kms from Lathikata block headquarters. In order to guide the farmers during crop season, rainfall monitoring at panchayat level is required, he said.
A host of farmers and agriculture experts including agronomists also mooted for micro-level monitoring of rainfall. The district is spread over 9,712 sq kms with 262 panchayats and 3.13 lakh hectares (ha) of cultivable land.
Sources said the normal rainfall in June is 237.4 mm. During the last 17 days, the district received average rainfall of 79.6 mm with Hemgir, Kuanrmunda, Bisra, Koida and Bonai blocks registering 137 mm, 133 mm, 113 mm, 129 mm and 108 mm respectively. But all areas of these blocks have not received equal amount of rainfall.
Lefripara, Tangarpali, Bargaon, Lathikata, Rajgangpur, Nuagaon, Lahunipara, Sundargarh, Gurundia blocks received 43 mm to 98 mm rainfall while Subdega, Kutra and Balishankara received less than 20 mm.
Deputy Director of Agriculture KN Mohapatra said unequal distribution of rainfall has been noticed in the district since long. Panchayat level rainfall monitoring system would be helpful for farmers, he added.
