To help farmers facing drought like situation, Odisha government today decided to declare a panchayat as "dry spell region" if it receive less than 50 per cent of rainfall than normal for three consecutive weeks at a stretch.
This was stated by Revenue and Disaster Management minister Maheswar Mohanty while reviewing the situation created due to deficit rainfall in different places across the state.
Mohanty said as per the relief code, the state government has to wait till crop cutting report in order to declare a particular area as drought hit zone.
"As per the new decision, the areas that record 50 percent less rainfall than normal for three consecutive weeks will be declared as dry spell regions," Mohanty told reporters.
This is for the first time the state government has made such an announcement which in all likelihood is going to benefit farmers in receiving assistance for crop loss.
Stating that the government was yet to receive the complete report on the drought like situation from District Collectors, Mohanty said his department will discuss on the changed situation on October 10.
"We are hopeful to get reports from district collectors before the next meeting on October 10," the minister.
Mohanty, however, said that there has been a slight improvement in the drought-like situation in the state following rains recently resulting in a drop in the number of blocks receiving deficient rainfall from the earlier 103 blocks to 96.
Meanwhile, the farmers cell of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) demanded assistance for farmers in the dry zones not waiting till the crop cutting report.
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