JOIN USDistrict-wise info to tackle weak monsoon
With the weather office forecasting a sub-normal monsoon, the Agriculture Ministry has drawn up plans for 500 districts which would receive specific advice on the crop to be taken based on the local weather condition.
The impending sub-normal rainfall would put to test the ministry’s drought management system which relies heavily on the unique Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT) launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation two years ago.
The RISAT is equipped with special capabilities which enable it to penetrate through heavy cloud cover and take images of the earth, which in turn could be used for several agriculture applications.
“We are using satellites to analyse soil condition at each of the identified 500 districts,” Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh told Deccan Herald.After analysing the situation in each district, specific plans would be drawn up for the region.
It includes distribution of appropriate seeds to get optimum yield in adverse conditions, he said.
For Karnataka, specific plans would be drawn up for Tumkur, Bijapur, Bagalkot, Koppal, Raichur and Davangere district, which are drought prone. The Southwest monsoon is making slow progress across the country and reached south Gujarat on Monday. Since its onset on June 6 over Kerala, the Southwest monsoon has brought rains mainly to the coastal areas and parts of the southern peninsula.
The Met department has said conditions were favourable for further advance of monsoon into some parts of interior Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in the next three days.
The state governments have been asked to ensure availability of seeds for meeting contingency cropping requirement in the eventuality of deficient rainfall.
On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed preparations to tackle the situation arising out of a possible deficient monsoon.
The Agriculture Ministry has also drawn up plans to launch the “Pradhan Mantri Gram Sinchai Yojana”, which was announced by President Pranab Mukherjee in his address to the joint session of Parliament.
Under the initiative, a “Soil Health Card” would also be distributed to farmers to show the status and production capability of the farm soil and understand its suitability to various types of crops.