Only 16.42 % crops sown in absence of adequate rainfall
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 4: The monsoon, which is delayed by about one week this year, is likely to hit parched Jammu within next two days. However, uncertainty prevails about whether it will cause sufficient rainfall to meet the requirement of farmers as it has turned feeble ever since its onset and made sluggish progress till now.
Sonam Lotus, Director Indian Meteorological Department told EXCELSIOR that parched Jammu is expected to get monsoon rains during the next two days as the conditions are now favourable for its advancement towards North India from Central India.
“This year monsoon is delayed by about one week as the data of last 30 years indicates that monsoon normally hit Jammu on first of July”, he said, adding “last year monsoon reached Jammu on June 24, about a week ahead of the normal date, and caused massive rainfall”.
In response to a question regarding amount of rainfall the delayed monsoon will cause, the IMD Director said, “uncertainty prevails over the rainfall expected from the monsoon as ever since its onset, it turned feeble and made sluggish progress before the conditions turned favourable for its advancement”.
Subscribing the forecast of IMD regarding the monsoon, Dr M K Khushu, Chief Scientist, Agronomy Division of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, said that during the past 30 years monsoon hit Jammu in the month of July only five times. In 1987, monsoon hit Jammu on July 13, on 6th of July in 1991, 16th of July in 1992, 6th of July in 1997 and 4th of July in 2010 and the data clearly indicates that normal date of monsoon hitting Jammu is either first of July or any day in the last week of June.
“It is due to delay in the monsoon by about one week that day temperature in Jammu remained much more in the month of June”, he said while disclosing that average day temperature during the period between June 15 and 30 this year broke the record of last 25 years. It was only in 1985 and 1987 that day temperature touched 42.3 and 42.1 degrees Celsius during the second fortnight of June. After 1985 and 1987, the average highest day temperature during the period between June 15 and June 30 was recorded this year at 41.3 degrees Celsius.
Responding to a query, Dr Khushu said that in the absence of adequate rainfall this year there was delay in sowing of the crops so far. “The farmers have so far covered only 16.42 % agricultural land as such there is huge deficit in sowing of crops till date this year”, he added.
As per the data of Agriculture Department, only 7.93 % paddy has been sown so far, 12.93 % maize, 38.18 % Bajra and others, 22.77 % pulses, 81 % vegetables and 75 % fodder because of deficit in rainfall, the Chief Scientist Agronomy Division of SKUAST-J said, adding the sowing activities will pick up only when the monsoon hits the State and cause good rainfall.
While on one side the monsoon will provide relief from the rainfall deficit and scorching heat, it will lead to numerous problems for the common masses particularly in the winter capital city where all the roads, lanes and by-lanes have been dug up by NBCC and ERA for sewerage works.
The delay in completion of work would create numerous problems not only for the vehicle operators but also for pedestrians as in several parts the black-topping work could not be completed well in time because of delay in handing over roads, lanes and by-lanes to Public Works Department and Jammu Municipal Corporation.
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