BALASORE: With no rain since July, this coastal district is all set to face drought if the dry spell continues for another week. According to reports, paddy saplings on thousands of acres, have dried up and fields have developed huge cracks due to water stress. Blocks like Remuna, Oupada, Nilagiri, Soro, Simulia, Khaira, Bahanaga and Bhogarai have been the worst hit. District administration sources said, the threat of drought looms large over all the 12 blocks of the district. While the target was set to cultivate paddy in nearly 2.5 lakh hectares (ha) in the district, nearly a lakh hectare agricultural field is yet to be cultivated for lack of rain. The district has so far received 110.99 mm rainfall against an average of 308.6 mm in July. Apparently, the blocks that generally receive more rain have this time recorded the lowest rainfall. A farmer Basudev Sahu said the paddy saplings would not grow if there is no rain in the next three days. “The plants have turned yellow while the fields have developed cracks. The crops in my five acres of land have been damaged,” he said. Last year, the district had received less than the normal rainfall in June and July though in 2009 the region was affected with floods during the period. This year the rainfall has been over 30 per cent less than the average. Meanwhile, a review meeting was convened by in-charge District Collector Sribatsa Jena to initiate measures to tackle the situation. The Collector has asked departments concerned to act in sync to deal with the situation. “Officials have been directed to activate the defunct irrigation points and make the lift irrigation channels and minor irrigation points functional in a week,” Jena said.
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