The low pressure induced rain over the last couple of days has failed to cheer up the farmers of non-irrigated pockets of the district. With Bargarh receiving less than normal rainfall from June, it is the non-irrigated belt that has been worst affected. Cracks have appeared on the crop land and the situation is similar at the tail end of the canal system in irrigated areas. In the tail end, water never reaches the cultivated land though farmers pay water cess. According to reports of the Bargarh Agriculture Office, standing crops in over 75,473 hectares (ha) of land will be affected due to scanty rainfall. While blocks of Bargarh, Attabira, Bheden and parts of Barpali are irrigated under Hirakud Dam project, the remaining blocks comprising Bhatli, Bijepur, Sohela, Ambabhona, Padampur, Paikmal, Gaiselet and Jharbandh are rain-fed. From June 1 to September 20, the district should receive 1133 mm of rainfall but has got only 903 mm which is about 20 per cent less. Moreover, the rain has been scattered. The District Agriculture Office had set a target to cultivate crops in 3,47,747 ha, of which paddy was to be cultivated in 1,94,284 ha while non-paddy crops like pulses, oilseeds, vegetables were to be grown in 1,40,029 ha. However, with majority of the land under paddy cultivation depending on rain, farmers have been left in the lurch with monsoon failing them. Deputy Director, Agriculture, Bargarh, Guru Prasad Tripathy said though low pressure induced rain has revived crops to some extent, it would be of no help, if it does not rain for a few more days. Stating that 75,473 ha of land might be affected by drought, the officer said works are on to make all defunct lift irrigation points operational. Motor pumps are being provided to farmers at subsidised rate to irrigate crops. The last time the district faced drought was in 2011. Source - http://www.newindianexpress.com