Madhya Pradesh government today asked district collectors and deputy directors in the state to prepare a contingency plan to deal with likely shortfall in monsoon rains this year.
The agriculture department issued an advisory to collectors and deputy directors citing information provided by global meteorology centres about deficient monsoon.
The advisory is based on information provided by world's meteorology agencies like SKYMET, Australian Bureau of Meteorology and US Climate Prediction at the National Kharif Conference held in New Delhi on February 26, Rajesh Rajora, Principal Secretary (Agriculture), said here.
In the conference it was stated that due to El-Nino (warm ocean water temperatures) effect the temperature in Pacific Ocean will rise by 0.5 degree Celsius. This may result in increase in air pressure in Indian Ocean. Due to this, there was an apprehension there could be less rainfall in 2014, the advisory said.
"In view of this, it is necessary to prepare a 'Contingency Plan' to deal with the possible crisis by holding an emergency meeting," it said.
In such a situation it would be better if farmers are advised to go for drought-resistant crops like soybean, rice, basmati rice, maize, sorghum, tuar and millet as they require less time to grow, it said.
The advisory said there was an apprehension of El- Nino effect on Indian monsoon in 1994, 1997, 2002 and 2009. However, there was no impact of El-Nino in 1994 and 1997. In 2002 and 2009, India had received less than normal rainfall.
In 2009, its impact was severe and the country had recorded 22 per cent lower rainfall which resulted in eight per cent less foodgrain production, the advisory said.
Normally after El-Nino, the effect of La-Nino (ocean- atmosphere phenomenon) follows and there is an apprehension that from December 2014 to February 2015, temperatures may fall and rains may come in winters, it said.
