Jaipur, July 2: With the monsoon getting delayed, the drought-hit cultivators in Rajasthan are getting panicky with regard to this year's kharif crops. Already the rains have been delayed in the entire state by at least 10 days and the reports received from the 33 districts speak of disturbing picture. ``We are sitting with our fingers crossed and if the rains are further delayed, things may go out of control'', says a senior government official.The chief minister Ashok Gehlot has also expressed his utter dismay at the delayed rains and says `the drought position has made the overall position disturbing in the state and if the rains fail this year too then the state economy will be terribly affected''. The biggest problem facing the entire state is of potable water as the ground water levels have fallen dangerously low.
Last year the rains were delayed but there were some rains in June and this year the position is still horrifying as at the end of June 26 the entire state has had no rains at all. The sky is blank with no cloud formations. And because of the terrible heat the normal working has been affected to a large degree.
In the entire Udaipur region the drinking water is very acute. The lakes have become dry. At Mount Abu, the state's only hill resort, the Nakki lake has become totally empty with the visitors playing cricket. The normal monsoon should have hit the State by June 20 so as to have good kharif production, which covers about 130 lakh hectares in a normal year of rainfall. Last year the area covered was 128.90 lakh hectares.
The state agriculture department has projected a total area of 129.25 lakh hectares to be covered by the kharif crops. The major crop of bajra is covering about 45 lakh hectares. It is widely grown in the western region where the rains are always scanty. The kharif pulses also cover about 40 lakh hectares with moth alone covering about 15 lakh hectares. Apart from moth the other kharif pulses are urad, moong, chowly, gowar, soyabean etc. Gowar is also a major crop covering 20 lakh hectares. It is used in the manufacture of gum and the farmers take the crop in large areas due to the high returns.
Cotton covers about 6.30 lakh hectares and paddy is also grown in about 1.40 lakh hectares. Soyabean covers about 6.50 lakh hectares.
The paddy crop is mostly irrigated and it is grown in the districts of Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Kotah, Baran etc. Departmental sources say that about 20,000 hectares have already been covered by paddy in the districts of Hanumangarh and Banswara. The cotton is yet to be sown but the success will largely depend on the behaviour of monsoon. ``The government is getting ready to meet the worst situation'', says a senior official.
Copyright © 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.