Drought like situation in Bihar’s flood prone areas

In Kamrauli village of Pipradhi block located in Shivhar district, Bihar, only 30-40 per cent of paddy has been sown so far. The low groundwater level in the Sheohar district has led the government to ban boring pumpsets, leaving many farmers waiting for the rains.

Drought like situation in Bihar

Sanjay Mandal, a 50-year-old farmer in Kamrauli, owns two bighas of land and depends on agriculture to sustain his household. However, due to the ban on pumpsets, some farmers are secretly using private pumpsets, but it comes at a cost of Rs. 250 to 300 per hour. This adds up to at least Rs. 6000 for planting two bighas of land. The situation is putting immense financial pressure on the farmers, and many are considering seeking alternative employment, including Sanjay's son, who works as a labourer in Delhi.

The plight of the farmers in Bihar is similar to that of Sanjay Mandal. The majority of farmers are marginal farmers, cultivating agricultural land less than about 4 bighas. Electricity has reached about 50 per cent of the farms, but only big farmers could afford boring. The lack of rainfall has resulted in the drying up of paddy crops and last year, many farmers received no compensation despite the loss of their crops.

Fear of a likely drought-like situation is gaining ground with each passing day among thousands of farmers across the state. Poor monsoon has plagued farmers in the drought-prone Gaya, Jahanabad, Aurangabad, Nawada and Arwal districts and flood-prone Supaul and Sitamarhi districts.

Patna farmers struggle amid drought

Even in Patna district, farmers are either struggling to complete the transplanting of rice seedlings with the help of a motor pump or are working hard to save the transplanted rice.

"Lack of rain affects transplanted rice because the farmland is drying up and forming cracks, a bad sign for upland rice cultivation. This is an alarming situation. If there is no rain by the end of July, we will be hit with a situation similar to drought". Dinesh Sharma, a farmer, said.

According to Bihar Agriculture Department, in 2022, 7841 revenue villages of 937 panchayats of 96 blocks of 11 districts of Bihar were declared drought-hit. Arun Kumar Jha of Supaul, who has worked in the Bihar Agriculture Department, says, "Lakhs of farmers in the Seemanchal Kosi and Mithilanchal areas, who did not resort to other means for irrigation, were affected by the drought last year.

Very few farmers There are facilities of other means of irrigation near here but they were not kept in the category of drought-prone. The government makes fun of the farmers through statistics. Last year, these figures of the government were questioned by former Agriculture Minister Sudhakar Singh and many opposition leaders.

Bihar faces severe drought, affecting farmers

According to the Meteorological Department, Bihar has received 48 percent less rainfall than normal during the current monsoon season. The worst-hit districts are Sitamarhi and Sheohar, receiving 83 percent and 75 percent less rainfall than normal, respectively. As a result, the situation is dire for farmers who rely on rainwater for their crops.

The government has declared many areas drought-hit in the past, but there have been concerns about the accuracy of such declarations, and some farmers have not received compensation or alternative support. The lack of proper irrigation facilities and subsidies for diesel have further worsened the situation for small farmers.

In the face of the drought and its impacts on agriculture, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has reviewed the situation and directed to provide all possible help to the farmers. However, the challenges remain significant, and many farmers are struggling to find ways to sustain their livelihoods in these difficult conditions.

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