Twin blow to UP farmers: Drought situation after untimely rains

LUCKNOW: In a double blow to farmers in Uttar Pradesh, drought-like situation looms large in a number of districts after untimely heavy rains and hail storm early this year.

"This year, rainfall has been very low in a number of districts in the state," an agriculture department officer said.

He said data was being collected from each of the 75 districts in the state and the exact picture would emerge only after the figures are complied.

The government has sought a district-wise report, he said.

According to the Met department, deficiency in rain till September 15 in eastern and western UP stood at around 42 and 44 per cent respectively.

"The problem is that the deficiency has come during September month which is the mid of the kharif crop," he said.

He said if scanty rainfall was predicted at the beginning of the Kharif season, then the government would have promoted crops which require less water.

"In the current case, June and July rainfall was nearly normal, but September was relatively very dry. This will impact the farmers as they have already sown the crop," he said.

The officer said scanty rainfall would also impact Rabi crop as soil moisture would be low.

Districts which have received less rainfall, include Lucknow, Fatehpur, Kaushambi, Kanpur (Rural), Amethi, Rae Bareli, Ambedkarnagar, Etah, Hathras, Farukkhabad, Rampur, Lalitpur, Mau, Sant Kabirnagar, Unnao, Hamirpur, Deoria, Chitrakoot, Maharajganj, Mainpuri, Auraiyya, Pilibhit, Kanpur city, Mahoba, Agra and Kushinagar.