Odishatv Bureau
Rourkela: Farmers of Sundargarh district are apprehending another bad crop season due to prolonged dry spell.

Owing to scanty and erratic rainfall in July, the second phase of paddy farm activities have come to a grinding halt.

The district administration in a report to state government said the situation might turn "alarming" in the entire district if there is no rainfall in the next three to four days, official sources said today.

Farmers who had hurriedly sown seeds after early rainfall in June, seem to be the worst hit as the crops now need adequate moisture to survive.

Official sources said, paddy cultivation has been taken up in over 2.13 lakh hectares in Sundargarh district.

The farmers depend on rain fed cultivation in absence of any major water sources from reservoir.

Against the normal rainfall of 386.4 mm for July, the district recorded a deficit of 23 per cent, the sources said.

Paddy broadcasting the transplanting works have been held up due to scanty rainfall and total dry spell in most of the blocks in the district.

Though sporadic paddy farm activities are witnessed on low-land, farming activities are missing on upland and medium-land which constitute 50 per cent and 30 per cent of the area respectively.

The district administration in its report to state government said 11 of the 17 blocks faced grim situation in absence of normal rainfall and described it as a risk. The situation is worse in Bisra, Lahunipara, Gurundia and Koida blocks as they have received less than 200 mm rainfall.

Paddy plants at Kinjirma, Bijaberna, Amasdegi, Mahuliljor, Ghantibod and Khpurikhaman villages of Kinjirma gram panchayat in Sundargarh sadar block along with several villages in Lathikata block are showing signs of sprouting-blight.

The farmers in the district had suffered crop loss last year due to scarcity rainfall and caterpillar menace.

The Deputy Director of Agriculture, Narendra Behera said erratic rainfall has made the situation worse in major parts of the district. A good rainfall in the next three days can be the only remedy, he said.

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