Monsoon Shortfall Raises Drought Fears as Farmers Across Odisha Await Cultivation-Friendly Rain

Despite the southwest monsoon covering the entire state, Odisha is yet to receive sufficient rainfall for agricultural activities, leaving farmers worried over the delayed start of the kharif season. The prolonged dry spell, attributed to the weakening monsoon trough and the impact of El Niño, has left vast stretches of farmland parched even after the traditional farming milestones of Akshaya Tritiya and Raja festival.

According to noted weather expert Professor Surendranath Pashupalak, the current weather conditions do not indicate sustained rainfall in the immediate future. He advised farmers against taking hasty decisions on sowing, as intermittent showers are unlikely to provide adequate moisture for cultivation.

The lack of rainfall has created uncertainty among farming communities across several districts. In Mayurbhanj, where the majority of farmers depend entirely on monsoon rains, agricultural fields remain dry. The district has set a target of cultivating kharif crops over nearly 4.22 lakh hectares this season. However, farmers fear that if adequate rainfall does not occur within the coming week, the region could face drought-like conditions, severely affecting crop production.

A similar situation prevails in Bhadrak district. With little or no rainfall, agricultural lands remain unused, and grazing cattle can be seen roaming across fields that should have been prepared for cultivation. Although the district has targeted kharif cultivation over 1.37 lakh hectares, farming operations have largely remained stalled due to insufficient soil moisture.

In Kendrapara’s Aul region, many farmers had already prepared and germinated paddy seedlings in anticipation of timely rains. However, the prolonged dry weather has left the seedlings at risk of withering. While a few farmers have managed to irrigate their fields using water pumps, many others lack access to irrigation facilities, raising fears of significant crop losses if rainfall continues to elude the region.

The situation is equally grim in Dhenkanal’s Bhuban area, where soaring temperatures have replaced the expected monsoon showers during the month of Ashadha. In the absence of canal irrigation, farmers are transporting water manually from ponds and nearby water bodies in a desperate attempt to save their seedbeds. Cracks have begun appearing across farmlands as the prolonged dry spell continues.

Experts warn that unless widespread and sustained rainfall occurs soon, the delay in sowing could adversely affect kharif crop production across Odisha. Farmers have urged the government to closely monitor the situation and take timely measures if the rainfall deficit persists in the coming days.