Jharkhand seeks special relief package amid rain deficit concerns

Surendra Soren

Ranchi

Jharkhand Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Cooperation Minister Shilpi Neha Tirkey on Tuesday urged the Centre to provide a special relief package for districts likely to be affected by El Niño, during a virtual review meeting chaired by Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

The meeting, attended by agriculture ministers from all states, reviewed preparedness in light of the emerging rainfall deficit across the country. According to data presented by the India Meteorological Department, India was expected to receive an average of 74 mm rainfall between June 1 and June 17, but has recorded only 37 mm so far—indicating a deficit of nearly 40 percent. As many as 248 districts have not received normal rainfall, and below-average precipitation is likely to continue for the next two weeks.

During the meeting, Tirkey presented Jharkhand’s contingency plan, stating that the state government had proactively prepared for a possible El Niño impact as early as May. She highlighted that district- and block-level workshops have been conducted to raise awareness among farmers and encourage climate-resilient agricultural practices.

Emphasising the urgency of the situation, Tirkey requested the Centre to extend a special relief package to farmers in drought-prone and rainfall-deficit districts to mitigate potential financial distress.

The minister also raised concerns over fertilizer availability, noting that against Jharkhand’s demand for 3.9 lakh metric tonnes, the Centre has approved only 3.2 lakh metric tonnes, which may affect agricultural operations during the ongoing season.