Lucknow, (BIJ News) With Uttar Pradesh witnessing scanty to lower rainfall in many parts of the state, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath....
With Uttar Pradesh witnessing scanty to lower rainfall in many parts of the state, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said that if needed financial assistance will be provided to the farmers.
Chairing a high level meeting regarding crop sowing in the state, the CM said, "This year till July 31, the state has received a total of 191.8 mm of rainfall, which is less than 353.65 mm in the year 2021 and 349.85 mm in the year 2020."
He said that Agra is the only district that received normal (more than 120 per cent) rainfall. "Under these circumstances, interaction should be maintained with all the farmers of the state. The government is determined to safeguard the interests of all farmers. If needed, we will also give financial assistance to the farmers and ensure that not a single farmer suffers," he said.
Yogi said that Firozabad, Etah, Hathras, Kheri, Auraiya, Chitrakoot, Pratapgarh, Varanasi and Hapur districts have received normal rainfall (80 per cent to 120 per cent). "Mathura, Balrampur, Lalitpur, Etawah, Bhadohi, Ambedkar Nagar, Muzaffarnagar, Ghazipur, Kannauj, Jalaun, Meerut, Sambhal, Sonbhadra, Lucknow, Saharanpur and Mirzapur have received below normal (60 per cent to 80 per cent) rainfall," he said.
He said that there are 30 districts in the state where only 40 per cent to 60 per cent of the normal rainfall has been recorded while 19 districts have received less than 40 per cent rainfall. "The sowing of Kharif crops has been affected in these districts. We have to be prepared for all situations," he said.
The CM said that Kanpur, Amroha, Moradabad, Gonda, Mau, Bahraich, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Ghaziabad, Kaushambi, Ballia, Shravasti, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Shahjahanpur, Kushinagar, Jaunpur, Kanpur Dehat, Farrukhabad and Rampur received only 40 per cent rainfall as compared to normal. "Special attention should be paid to these districts," he directed.
He said that the monsoon usually arrives in UP by June 15 and continues till September 15. "Rainfall ensures the prosperity of agriculture. The monsoon is not normal this time. However, along with irrigation from natural rainwater, the irrigation facility has been improved by the government with the expansion of canals and tube wells. Rampur has received only 18 per cent of the rainfall as compared to normal, but till now 98 per cent of the Kharif crop seeds have been sown here," he said.
Yogi said that the sowing of Kharif crop seeds has been affected due to a lack of normal rainfall. He said that however, the situation has improved a lot due to the rains since July 19. "According to the updated status of July 13, under Kharif Campaign 2022-23, against the target of 96.03 lakh hectares, 81.49 lakh hectares have been sown till August 1, which is 84.8 per cent of the target. Last year till the same date, 91.6 lakh hectares of land had been sown with Kharif crop seeds," he said.
He said that according to the meteorologists the rainfall conditions will be normal in August and September. "There are 15 districts where crop sowing is less than 75 per cent of the target. Conditions there should be continuously monitored," he directed.
The CM said that the report of the updated status of sowing of Kharif crops in the state should be sent to the central government immediately. "Within a week the details of the sowing of crops should be prepared by mapping agricultural crops in all the districts. We should be prepared for every situation. Agriculture, Irrigation, Relief, and Revenue-related departments should stay in alert mode. Maintain continuous interaction with the farmers through Krishi Vigyan Kendras, Agricultural Universities and agricultural scientists in each district. Authentic information should be made available to them," he said.
He said that the measurement of rainfall is a very important process. "Many policies of the government depend on its assessment. At present, rain gauges have been installed at tehsil levels, action should be taken to increase them at the development block level. More and more accurate information about rainfall can be obtained with more and more rain gauges. In the next phase, preparations should be made to expand it at the Nyay Panchayat level," he directed.
Yogi said that accurate weather forecast alerts secure the wider interest of public life. "Devices should be installed at the divisional level for more accurate estimates and corresponding weather alerts. The assistance of the State Disaster Management Authority should also be taken in this regard," he said.
He said that efforts should be made to develop a better system of accurate forecasting of lightning. Maintain constant communication and contact with Revenue and Relief, Agriculture, State Disaster Management, Remote Sensing Authority, Meteorological Department of India, Central Water Commission, and National Disaster Management Authority. "The assessment or estimate report should be made available to the officers posted in the field in time," he said.
Yogi directed that a portal should be developed at the state level to provide accurate weather information to the farmers. "Similarly, a data bank should be prepared for detailed information on crop sowing. This data bank will prove useful in policy-making for the welfare of the farmer," he directed.
He said that continuous monitoring of flood or extreme rain conditions and the water level of rivers should be done. "NDRF, SDRF, PAC and disaster management teams should be in active mode 24 hours 7days in the affected districts. Take help from the volunteers of 'Aapda Mitra', Civil Defence as per the requirement. Proper training should be given to them," he said.
The CM directed to make timely arrangements for boats, relief material and other such things. "Relief operations should not be delayed in areas affected by floods or excess rain. All necessary help should be provided to the affected families immediately," he directed.
He said that the production of pulses is only 40 to 45 per cent relative to the requirement of edible oils for the growing population of the state. "A concrete action plan should be made to boost production as per the demand. Oilseeds and pulses production has to be increased. The central government is also extending its cooperation in this. The Bundelkhand region has immense potential in this regard," he said.
Yogi said that the efforts of river dredging have yielded good results and should be continued further. "For channelization of rivers an action plan should be prepared from time to time using the latest technology like drones. Channelization needs to be accelerated. Complete transparency should be maintained in the mineral sand or silt mining auction derived from the dredging of rivers. Physical verification of sand mining auction work should also be done," he directed.
He directed to ensure that there is no shortage of drinking water anywhere. He said that there should be an uninterrupted supply of drinking water in Vindhya and Bundelkhand. "The Forest Department should make arrangements for the drinking water of wild animals. The Animal Husbandry Department should also make better arrangements for drinking water for animals. Special efforts should be made for the availability of water in rain-dependent reservoirs," he said.
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