The state overall recorded 38 per cent less rainfall than average during last monsoon
Photo: iStock The Jharkhand government has finally declared 158 blocks in 17 districts of the state as drought-affected, where about 1.5 million farmers were impacted.
Only four districts in Jharkhand recorded normal rainfall during the monsoon season in 2023 and 19 districts had recorded less than normal rainfall. This time, the state overall recorded 38 per cent less than average rainfall during the monsoon.
During the last monsoon season, only about half of the normal amount of farming was done. The government had set a target of 1.61 million hectares for paddy sowing during the Kharif cropping season, but only 282,000 hectares were planted.
Since its formation 23 years ago, the state has been declared drought hit 10 times. Droughts used to occur every three or four years, but this time the extreme weather events happened twice in a row. In 2022, 226 of 260 blocks in 22 districts of the state were declared drought-affected.
In a meeting with the public policy think tank Niti Ayog, the Jharkhand government demanded a special package to address droughts and develop irrigation infrastructure. Only 20 per cent of the state’s cultivable land has irrigation facilities, it stated.
About 500,000 hectares of fields in Jharkhand are rain-fed. According to the state government, providing irrigation facilities on this land may allow for the future cultivation of food grains through crop diversification. According to the Economic Survey 2021-22, improved irrigation facilities, judicious use of water and land management can boost agricultural productivity in the state.
Districts falling in Santhal Pargana and Palamu divisions suffer the most due to droughts in Jharkhand, as agriculture is the only source of income for farmers in the region. Some agricultural experts, however, believe that if paddy cannot be saved, Jharkhand should shift its focus to crops such as pulses and oilseeds. The state holds enormous potential in these areas.
In the last 23 years, the state has taken no effective steps to address drought and water management, or making adequate irrigation arrangements. Around 80 per cent of the state’s population, who live in approximately 32,500 villages, rely solely on farming or related activities for a living.
Read more: How can Jharkhand fight distress migration?
This state’s agricultural economy is based on paddy cultivation, which is dependent on rainfall. The primary sources of irrigation are wells, ponds, and canals. Given the state’s ongoing drought, Jharkhand government in 2022 decided to build 100,000 wells and 100,000 ponds under irrigation schemes, in addition to repairing hand pumps and checking dams on a war footing.
The state government has also been directed to lift the ban on works under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act of 2005, so that maximum irrigation arrangements can be made in rural areas through the construction and repair of ponds and water reservoirs.
According to the report released by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the frequency and duration of drought has increased alarmingly around the world since the turn of the century. Drought contributes 15 per cent to natural disasters.
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