Crops lost in last winter, delayed assessment now

Neena Sharma

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 24

A Central government inter-ministerial team is visiting Uttarakhand beginning August 26 to assess the damage incurred due to scanty winter rain (agricultural drought) during the rabi season but the tell tale signs of the drought on the ground have disappeared. At present the state is beset with another problem of excessive monsoonal rains during the kharif season (2016-2-17).

In February 2016, the Centre had approved a drought assistance of Rs 170 crore to neighbouring Himachal Pradesh and 11 other states from the National Disaster Relief Fund.

Most of the rabi crops are harvested in the state in March and April. Farmers would have been better off had they received some kind of assurance for crops damaged during the spring season. There was delay and confusion in the Uttarakhand departments about the inclusion of districts to be declared drought affected and even delay in undertaking timely surveys. Then there was also a mismatch between the projections made by the Department of Disaster Management and the Department of Agriculture about the damage caused to farmland.

The Uttarakhand government managed to present its final report only in the first week of August though the Centre had sent several reminders to it to set a date for the Central team’s visit to assess the damage.

Now, when the team will reach the state, the government is in the throes of another problem for which another survey is underway to assess the damage caused. The Department of Agriculture is in the process of making a preliminary assessment of the damage caused to the kharif crops due to excessive rains.

By the time the state will have finalised its report, it will be time for the rabi season. However, efforts are on to at least present a report to the inter-ministerial team on the damage caused due to excessive monsoonal rains.

The Department of Disaster Management has prepared a provisional report pegging the total loss due to excessive rains at Rs 650 crore and human deaths at 60.