RAJKOT: A farmer Janak Patel in Abharampara village of Amreli district has seen his entire sowing on 40 bigha land going waste. He had anticipated rainfall within 30 days of sowing. However, monsoon did not keep its date with the state.
"I had sown cotton in 40 bigha land 30 days ago thinking that rain would come on time. But all has gone waste," said Patel adding that he had spent Rs 500 per bigha for seeds and wages of agricultural labourers.
Hundreds of farmers like Patel are regretting pre-monsoon sowing in Saurashtra as the rains have got delayed. The worst hit are small and marginal farmers who have lost their precious seeds.
Even as parts of south Gujarat and parts of Saurashtra recorded rains on Wednesday, monsoon is yet to set in firmly. According to state government officials, Amreli district has received just 1.14 per cent rainfall as against its average annual rainfall so far this year. Last year, it had received 33 per cent of rainfall as against its average annual rainfall as on July 1.
Sources in the agricultural department said sowing has been done on just only 12.78 lakh hectare area this year as on June 30 as compared to the 43.69 lakh hectare in the corresponding period last year. Farmers in Saurashtra have sown cotton, groundnut and fodder.
The state government has asked district administrations to make contingency plans to deal with drought-like crisis.
Moreover, the water levels in all dams in Saurashtra region have depleted alarmingly. According water resources department officials, there is only 11.82 per cent water available in all dams in the Saurashtra.
"If rains are delayed further, main towns and cities will have to depend on Narmada water for drinking as traditional water sources are drying up," an official said.