New Delhi: A presentation on progress of
monsoon by the India Meteorological Department has made the
government confident that this year will be a good crop year,
but everything depends on rains in the next seven days.
"The briefing that IMD made this morning (on monsoon
situation, I can say the) entire week will be a good week. If
this prediction is correct, then I can definitely say we are
out of trouble," Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar told
reporters.
Sixty per cent of India`s 140 million hectare cultivable
land is rainfall dependent, while the rest is irrigated.
"I am just keeping my fingers crossed, because ultimately
one has to see what exactly happens. (Compare to) the
situation that was there 10 days ago, today there is
substantial improvement.
"Paddy sowing has increased by 75 per cent over the
previous week, but still we haven`t reached last year`s level.
We are sticking to Plan-A and we`ve not yet switched to
contingency plan," Pawar said.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had in the morning reviewed
the crop situation and directed officials to prepare a Plan-B.
The weather office expects monsoon to be near normal in
July, which is crucial for the 235-million strong farming
community.
The minister said even though the rainfall is not up to
the mark in north-western India, the silver lining is that
most of the farm land in these regions are irrigated.
"In Punjab and Haryana, there is less rainfall. But up to
90 per cent of irrigation is there and out of that 50-55 per
cent is irrigation through well. So, the problem is something
different-- it`s the problem of power and diesel," Pawar said.
The Cabinet Secretary has instructed the Power Secretary
to provide additional power to Punjab and Haryana and more
supply of diesel to these states has been granted through the
Petroleum Ministry to facilitate irrigation, he added.
The minister said he will again brief the Prime Minister
next Monday on monsoon and then apprise his colleagues in the
Cabinet as well.
Bureau Report
