 "Monsoon weakens over Chhattisgarh after good start")
The onset of monsoon in the state had brought cheer to the farmers and the authorities. For, Chhattisgarh received record rainfall till 25 June, registering 232.6 millimeters (mm) of rainfall, which was twice the rainfall that it had been receiving for the corresponding period every year.
During the period, Chhattisgarh received about 18 per cent of its average rainfall (about 1300 mm). But the progress of the monsoon had put the farmers and the agriculture department officials in a fix. The state thereafter did not receive a good rainfall and the possibility of it in another couple of days had been bleak.
According to revenue officials, 281.5 mm of rainfall had been recorded till date in the state. The rainfall is counted from June 1. In the last 10 days, the state had received 50 mm of rainfall. The northern parts of the state had failed to get good rainfall.
“The sowing work for the kharif season 2015 was in progress and the pause in the rainfall would affect it,” a senior agriculture department official said. The paddy crop would have the impact, he added. The weather department officials said there was no sign of heavy rainfall in the state for next couple of days.
The state government had slightly increased the paddy production target for the season. As against 7.64 Million Tonne (MT) paddy produced during the kharif 2014, the state government had set a target of producing 7.65 MT paddy in the current season. The kharif crops would be taken in 4.82 million hectares as compared to last year’s 4.81 million hectares area.