Uttarakhand seeks Rs 200 crore Central fund for drought

Uttarakhand government has sought central assistance of Rs 200 crore in the wake of drought-like conditions in the hill state due to scanty rainfall for the past six months, official sources said.

Rainfall in the months of December, January, February and March has been far below normal, severely affecting winter crops in the hilly areas, the sources said. Three teams of the centre, headed by joint secretary Agriculture R K Tiwari had toured the state and found that 11 of the total 13 districts were affected by drought-like conditions.

They advised the state government to take measures like water harvesting and agriculture insurance for the benefit of farmers. The long dry-spell during the winters had badly affected the wheat and other crops in the hilly region with Tehri, Almora and Pithoragarh districts bearing the brunt of the scanty rainfall. Hailstorm that lashed the state in the month of May has further compounded the problem.
    
State Agriculture Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said the scanty rainfall has not only affected agriculture and horticulture crops but also dried up natural water sources "Though 11 districts have been affected by the drought-like conditions, 50 per cent of the crops have been damaged in 3216 villages of the five districts alone," said
Rawat.