Shimla, April 27
The worst drought in Himachal Pradesh has forced many small farmers to abandon their milch cattle because of scarcity of fodder. The drought has also left a large number of traditional drinking water sources dry and badly hit the rabi crop and orchards.
The government has sought an immediate relief of Rs 144 crore from the Centre to meet the situation which has affected 15,571 villages covering a population of 46.64 lakh in the state. According to official assessment, 262.77 tonnes of agricultural crops.
Valued at Rs 144.52 crore and 309.31 tonnes of horticultural crops worth Rs 154.65 crore have been destroyed due to the drought.
This is not the first time that the state was reeling under a drought. Much damage to crops was caused because of a drought in 1999. The worst affected were the districts of Chamba, Kangra, Solan, Lahaul-Spiti and Bilaspur. Solan and Bilaspur had no winter rains while the deficiency was 99 per cent in Hamirpur and Sirmour districts.
A central team recently visited various parts of the state to assess the damage caused due to the drought.
Although the recent rains have brought a ray of hope among the horticulturists the yield this time might not be up to expectations. The main apple producing areas of Shimla district received a rainfall of 204.7 mm since January till date although these were starved of snow and rain between September and December when only 14.6 mm of rainfall was registered.
The discharge of water in the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi was less by 30 to 40 per cent as compared to that of last year.
The problem of the hilly terrain here is that out of an area of 4.39 lakh hectares under the rabi crops 2.71 lakh hectares is rain-fed and only 33,000 hectares has assured irrigation. On the horticulture front, the entire 2.13 lakh hectares of orchards are rain-fed and their sustainability is directly related to the weather which decides its success of failure.
The prolonged dry spell has adversely affected the availability of dry fodder throughout the state. As a result of about 60 per cent rabi area having remained unsown, the availability of crop residue has been severely affected. Out of the total livestock population of about 51 lakh almost 80 per cent is with small and marginal farmers.
The government has released Rs 2 crore to the Deputy Commissioners for procuring fodder from the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana. About 1.18 lakh tonnes of fodder is expected to be imported.
Under normal conditions a total fruit production of 5.40 lakh tonnes was expected during the current year out of which apple production was expected to be about 4.67 lakh tonnes. However, the quantitative loss to fruit crop up to February has been estimated to be about 2.29 lakh tonnes.
Besides, about 37.12 lakh young plants between one and three years of age have perished. It is estimated that 7.58 lakh nursery plants have also suffered mortality.
About 56,885 hectares of rabi remained unsown because of the dry spell. Out of the total sown area of
3.82 lakh hectares about 3.23 lakh hectares has suffered a loss of more than 50 per cent.
As a result of insufficient snowfall during the last two winters and scanty winter rains there has been a considerable reduction in discharge of various water sources which are otherwise perennial in nature. The state experienced only 11.50 mm of rainfall between October to December last which was 87.8 per cent less than the normal rain. Between January and February this year only 41.33 mm of rain was recorded and this was 73.10 per cent less than the normal.
A target to install 1450 hand pumps has been fixed to meet the drinking water crisis which has been caused due to the drought in the state. The highest number of 300 hand pumps are proposed to be installed in Kangra district followed by 180 in Shimla and 160 in the Hamirpur and Barsar areas of Hamirpur district.
Besides, the traditional water sources were being activated and 495 water tankers are proposed to be deployed in various parts of the state.
