BHUBANESWAR: As deficient rainfall in 213 blocks of the State is likely to affect cultivation, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday directed officials to implement a contingency crop plan for the farmers.
Reviewing the drought situation in the State with the collectors and secretaries of the departments concerned virtually, the Chief Minister asked the Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment department to keep a close watch on the situation on a daily basis. He asked the collectors of the affected districts to make field visits to assess the situation correctly.
The Chief Minister also asked the Collectors to ensure proper implementation of the contingency crop plan, water flow in irrigation canals and implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to protect the farmers.
Besides, Naveen directed the officials to provide seeds for the second crop if the first crop has been affected due to drought and diesel pump sets to farmers at a subsidised rate. He asked officials to activate all lift irrigation points within a week and dig farm ponds for farmers having cultivable land of more than half an acre. The Water Resources department was directed to ensure irrigation water for the farmers in the downstream areas of the canal systems and recharge the groundwater.
Besides, he also advised the district collectors to focus on implementation of different employment generating schemes to protect the livelihood of small, marginal farmers and farm labourers. He directed the district and urban body officials to ensure that there is no shortage of drinking water for the people.Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra said the state has received 30 percent less rainfall so far. Though it has posed problems for paddy crops, there is no threat to non-paddy crops, he added.