With an aim to ensure that the farmers can carry out cultivation without much difficulty, the West Bengal Agriculture Department is working on alternative agricultural methods to counter the deficiency of rainfall in the districts of south Bengal.
The preparation for sowing Kharif crops kicks off in June and the process gets over by the middle of August. But since the monsoon has been very feeble till date, the preparation has not started properly. Hence Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has instructed the department to adopt alternative agricultural methods so that crops can be sown even if there is scanty rainfall.
The average deficiency of rainfall in south Bengal is as high as 60 per cent.
The department is working on procedures like river-lift irrigation and usage of submersible pumps to facilitate the sowing of Kharif crops. The Bangla Krishi Sech Yojana had been introduced to support farmers in setting up micro-irrigation facilities that ensure cultivation, of mainly fruits and vegetables, using fewer quantities of water. The department will extend this scheme to the maximum possible area. To create awareness on the conservation of water and not extract groundwater indiscriminately, the department has also started a campaign among farmers.
The move comes in the wake of the chief minister’s laying special emphasis on the Jal Dharo Jal Bharo Scheme for the conservation of water.
(UNI)
