Government of India

Ministry of Agriculture

Department of Agriculture & Cooperation

DROUGHT SITUATION  REPORT – 27^th June, 2003

Rainfall:          Southwest monsoon has further advanced into Uttaranchal, remaining parts of Madhya Pradesh, some more parts of  East Rajasthan & East Uttar Pradesh and some parts of West Uttar Pradesh. So far the south-west monsoon has covered  all the States except Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh , Jammu & Kashmir and Delhi.

          For the week ending 25^th June, the country as a whole received (+)57% rainfall – one of the highest figures ever for a single week in June.  The cumulative figures of rainfall from 1.6.2003 to 25.6.2003 for the country as a whole is (+)6%.   It may, however be noted that despite such high rainfall, as many as 9 out of 36 met sub-divisions remained deficient or scanty categories.

             While it is still premature to assess the impact of south-west monsoons on the current drought, considerable improvement is already in evidence in the affected areas in Orissa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.  On the other hand, among drought affected areas north-interior Karnataka, Chhatisgarh, Vidarbha and East Madhya Pradesh continue to have significant deficits.

Crop position:          With the onset of Monsoon, sowing has progressed in many states although these operations are still at an initial stage.  The highlights of preliminary figures as on 23^rd June, 2003 may be given as under:-

          It may be noticed that  unlike last week oilseeds sowing has already overtaken the normal figure for the first time during the current season.
Summary of Relief Operations:          With the States receiving adequate rainfall, a declined trend is already in evidence in the number of relief works and labour employed thereon in the States of Chhatisgarh, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.  The broad parameters of relief operations reported by the States as on 26.06.03 may be summarized as under:-

legend:          =        Same as  last week

                >        More than last week

                <        Less than last week

                **        Reports not received this week

Transport of water & fodder by Rail :

Continued to operate in Rajasthan and Gujarat.  With good rains in several parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan, less number of wagons were deployed by the Railways for transportation of water.  The position for the week as on 23^rd June, 2003 may be summarized as under:-

The cumulative figures of water transported by the Railways so far are 123560 wagons of water to Rajasthan and 10352 wagons to Gujarat.  The cumulative figures of fodder transported by Railways is 8117 wagons to Gujarat, 4375 wagons to Rajasthan. 

Movement of foodgrains:

          Up to 22^nd June, 2003, the planned and actual movement of foodgrains in the drought affected States was as under:-

          The overall situation of movement of foodgrains is progressing in all these States with movement of 70% of planned target for the month of June, 2003.

Other developments:

i)          Agriculture Minister held a press conference on 26.06.2003 to highlight the assistance of Central Government in drought relief operations.

ii)          Preliminary findings of Nutritional Survey being conducted by the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad in respect of Jaisalmer and Barmer are available.  Apart from not coming across any instance of serious mal-nutrition, the survey finds nutritional status of children to better than during the drought of 2000 in the same districts.  The survey also attributed this improvement to the large and early availability of foodgrains through relief works.

iii)      The National Institute of Hyderabad is also initiating “a Rapid Survey” in Rajsamand district of Rajasthan so that the impact of drought on nutritional status in the southern part of the State may also be studies.