The base paper prepared by the Revenue Department on the drought situation said the kharif crop has been completely damaged in Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Bolangir and Sonepur districts because of inadequate rainfall.

Pockets of Phulbani, Boudh and Sundergarh districts have also been affected.The State Government has announced several measures to deal with the situation. Chief Minister J B Patnaik, who reviewed the situation at a high-level meeting recently, has directed the Orissa Lift Irrigation Corporation (OLIC) to activate all the defunct lift irrigation points by December this year and earmarked Rs 2.5 crore for the purpose. The Government has decided to provide diesel pumps to the farmers of the affected district at subsidised rates, for which Rs 1 crore has been set aside.

The mid-day meal programme is being reinforced by diverting rice from the general quota. Cross bundhs will be constructed in the affected areas by diverting funds from the Jawahar Rojgar Yojana (JRY) and the Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS). The State Government has also announced a pre-rabi scheme, wherein seeds will be provided to farmers at subsidised rates.

The State Government will also submit a report to the Centre in the first week of September. Official sources pointed out that even if the state received normal rainfall in September, it would be difficult to avoid a drought. Rainfall should be staggered and uniform all over the state for a good crop, they added.

According to the base paper, there is no prospect of a good kharif crop in at least 50 out of the 314 blocks of the State. The seriousness of the situation can be gauged from the fact that cultivation has been completed in only 70 per cent of the targeted land during the kharif season against 85 per cent last year.