MANGALDAI, Sept 5 - Darrang district, of which nearly 80 per cent people depend on agriculture seemed to be under the wrath of the God of rain, as the district has been witnessing a long dry spell in recent times due to the alarming shortage of rainfall.
This is evident from the rainfall report of the Rain Gauge Centre at the District Agriculture Department here. According to the report, in the month of August in 2015, a total rainfall of 317 mm was recorded in as many as 16 days. Similarly in 2014 and 2013, the rainy days in the same month recorded were 16 and 14 while total rainfall measured was 199 mm and 293.2 mm respectively. On the contrary, the month of August, 2016 recorded a total rainfall of just 45.2 mm whereas the total rainy days stood at only nine. Due to this alarming decrease in rainfall, the district which witnessed flood havoc in the month of July is heading towards a drought-like situation in the days to come. Meanwhile, this long dry spell in the district has made agriculture scientists worried as the dry spell is likely to affect the production especially of winter paddy �Sali� and jute.
Talking to this correspondent, Dr Pabitra Kr Bordoloi, programme coordinator of Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Darrang said that this is the time when the winter �Sali paddy� is in its vegetative stage and at this period water supply to the farm land is very important. He pointed out that paddy is water absorbing plant and it absorbs nutrients from the soil only when the water is supplied to it and without necessary nutrients, the production will be adversely affected. On the other hand in the case of jute, this is the time for the retting of harvested jute where ample amount of clean water is very essential and as the natural water bodies in the jute-producing rural areas of the district are drying up, the retting of jute is also going to suffer a lot, Dr Bordoloi added.
Meanwhile, the Disaster Management Department of the district is not at all prepared for the possible drought-like situation in the near future, informed its Project Officer over phone.
