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Rabi crops hit in Bundelkhand

LUCKNOW: With no relief in sight in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh following failure of rains for the fourth successive year, an alert has been sounded by the State Government for the rabi sowing season.

Irrigation Department officials posted in the drought-hit districts of Bundelkhand have asked the farmers to lay emphasis on sowing of pulses and peas keeping in mind the available water resources. This meant that production of wheat, the main rabi crop, in the region would decline.

The seven districts of Jhansi, Lalitpur, Jalaun, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Banda and Chitrakoot have been reeling under the impact of an agrarian crisis in the wake of scanty rainfall in the region. Incidentally, of the eight districts which have been declared drought-hit in Uttar Pradesh, four belong to Bundelkhand. These are Mahoba, Banda, Chitrakoot and Lalitpur.

This year the impact of lack of rain has been felt more in Mahoba and Hamirpur where there was little water in the Arjun, Kabrai, Chandrabal, Majhgawan and Urmil water conservation sources. The below-capacity water in these sources had jeopardised the rabi sowing as enough water will not be available in the canals and irrigation channels.

In view of its topography, Bundelkhand has to rely on water conservation measures. When contacted, the State’s Agriculture Production Commissioner Anis Ansari said , “Since there is very little surface and ground water, the irrigation system in Bundelkhand is only suited for rabi, which is why emphasis has to be laid on the construction of more check dams and bunds for storing water for farming purposes.”

Around 17.48 lakh hectares of agriculture land in the region is under rabi crops with productivity of wheat at 19.11 quintal per hectare, which is well below the State average of 27.66 quintal per hectare. The net sown area in the region is around 20 lakh hectare, whereas the net sown area in the State is 167.50 lakh hectare.

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Rabi crops hit in Bundelkhand

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