Centre intensifies preparedness as El Nino threat looms large

Amid uncertainty in the southwest monsoon due to the potential impact of El Nino, the Government is addressing the situation with comprehensive preparedness, a clear strategy, and strong ground-level action, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Wednesday.

While challenges remain, the entire system has been activated in advance and is working proactively to mitigate their impact.

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Chouhan said that after recording a 33% rainfall deficit in June, the monsoon situation has shown improvement in July, with the overall deficit narrowing to 24%. He added that several parts of the country have received good rainfall in recent days, resulting in the number of rainfall-deficient districts declining from 262 to 178.

Addressing the media in New Delhi after a high-level review meeting, he said the Centre is maintaining close monitoring of the situation in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Bihar, Jharkhand, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal, and Odisha. He expressed confidence that rainfall would gain further momentum during July, leading to acceleration in Kharif sowing.

The Union Minister informed that Kharif sowing has so far been completed over 350.85 lakh hectares, which is about 91.95 lakh hectares lower than the corresponding period last year. He said that the delayed onset of the monsoon has particularly affected soybean and cotton sowing. However, farmers have been advised to cultivate short-duration and low water-intensive crops such as maize, Bajra, and Moong to minimise the impact of delayed rainfall.

Chouhan said the government had initiated preparations for this challenge as early as April. In collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, contingency plans were prepared for districts likely to be affected and shared with state governments well in advance. As part of the ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ conducted in June, more than 1.24 lakh programs were organised across the country, directly reaching over 80 lakh farmers.

He said that to ensure uninterrupted sowing operations, the government has maintained a national seed reserve of approximately 1.75 lakh quintals, ensuring adequate seed availability under all circumstances. He further stated that the Kisan Credit Card campaign has been intensified, with more than 94,000 applications approved out of 1.14 lakh applications received by June 30.

Chouhan also said that efforts are being intensified to increase farmers’ participation under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, ensuring financial protection for farmers in the event of crop losses due to adverse weather conditions.

Highlighting the government’s preparedness, Chouhan said that an extensive monitoring mechanism has been put in place keeping the possibility of El Nino in view. The El Nino Monitoring Cell, Crop Weather Watch Group, State-level Control Rooms, and designated officers are continuously monitoring the progress of the monsoon, crop sowing, crop conditions, and market trends.