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National Rainfed Area Authority Crop Advisory for Flood affected Areas-2013 Occurrence of Flood In the current Kharif season, rainfall arrived about two weeks to one month earlier in various parts of North and North-West regions of the country. Bursting of clouds and a glacier lake in Uttarakhand and excessive rains in eastern U.P., West Bengal, Bihar Assam etc have caused flooding of large areas around major rivers like Mandakini, Ganges, Ghaghara, Kosi, and Brahmaputra and their tributaries at many places. There are 185 flood gauzing stations in the country and flood situation at a typical station Neamatighat (Jorhat ) in Assam is illustrated in Figure 1. These floods have arrived almost two weeks to one month earlier than normal time of floods in the past (Figure 2 up to July 14). Flood occurrences swelled after heavy rains, cloud burst and over flowing of a glacier lake during 16-17 June, 2013. Flooding in Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal is quite active. 1 In some the states they have caused deluge and damaged infrastructure in others. Farmers grow short duration vegetables like Okra, Pumpkin, Bottle gouard, ridge gouard, water melon, etc. in and around river beds. In Ganges and Ghaghara plains farmers grow summer maize, summer moong, summer rice, and fodder crops like jowar and bajra in plains of Uttar Pradesh. Off season vegetables like peas, tomato, cauliflower, pulses like rajmash, crops like maize etc are grown in higher hills during early spring rains. Commercial fruits like apple were due for harvesting and got damaged. Heavy rains and untimely floods (one month before normal time) have caused serious damage to above crops. Most of these summer crops are cultivated as cash crops by poor farmers. In Himachal Pradesh certain areas remained cut off due to extensive damage of roads and farmers are experiencing problems in marketing the peas, vegetables, other crops and produce particularly in Sangla Valley. The peas is being 2 transported manually to the road and created marketing problems for survived crops. Among the Kharif crops, higher area coverage compared to normal area in the corresponding period and or area covered during last year is reported in rice, pulses, oilseeds and coarse cereals in the current season (as on 12-7-13) in many flood affected states (Table 1). These untimely floods may have adversely affected the crops sown in the above States as reported by newspapers and electronic Media. The formal survey will, of course, give the exact numbers at various stages subsequently. Crop Advisory for re-sowing of crops in flood affected areas One month early arrival of floods may have damaged the already sown crops as the sowing data indicates higher area coverage by 12th July this year compared to last year. In such a scenario, re-sowing of short duration crops is urgently required. A brief advisory for re-sowing of crops for the States affected by floods is as follows: Re-sowing and Transplanting of Rice: The damaged crop areas of rice due to early floods may be re-sown with early maturing varieties of rice. It would also be advantageous to adopt direct seeding of rice rather than transplanting to avoid delay in sowing as soon as the water recedes. Adoption of new flood tolerant varieties of rice in deep water areas: In the States of Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, eastern U.P. and Assam, there is large area of rice under deep water situations. Early floods may damage the deep water rice crop due to flooding for more than two weeks. In such a situation, re-sowing/transplanting of rice varieties recently developed for extended deep water flood tolerance like Swarana sub-1 may be adopted to minimize risks of rice in flood prone areas. Re-sowing of pulses/oilseeds and coarse cereals: In case the water recedes by middle or up to 3rd week of July, re-sowing of Kharif pulses like 3 Table 1. Crop area sown in the current year compared to normal area sown in the corresponding period and area sown during 2012. Rice State Assam Uttar Pradesh Bihar Coarse Cereals Normal of correspo nding week 2013 Normal of correspo nding 2012 week 6.64 6.01 6.03 0.02 20.64 16.27 2.64 0.53 14.38 3.12 Pulses Oilseeds 2013 Normal of correspo nding 2012 week 2013 Normal of corresp onding 2012 week 2013 2012 0.19 0.10 0.03 0.00 0.06 0.00 0.01 0.00 6.79 1.31 4.71 3.01 5.88 0.00 1.00 0.01 3.89 0.34 0.94 0.00 0.33 0.002 0.95 0.02 0.49 0.01 Uttarakhand Madhya Pradesh 1.64 1.46 1.77 2.45 1.92 1.80 0.10 0.33 0.00 0.002 0.03 0.00 2.40 4.20 2.50 5.00 11.62 0.00 1.80 7.29 0.52 27.92 59.84 30.05 West Bengal 3.96 1.5 1.25 0.25 0.2 0.10 0.13 0.37 0.20 0.03 0.04 0.027 4 Urd, Moong, Arhar, and Kulthi may be taken up urgently. These crops can be planted up to the end of July without much yield losses. Plant Toria as a short duration Oilseed crop in August: In case of water recedes late in July, it is better to prepare plan and sow Toria in the end of August, which can mature in 60-65 days and vacate the land for Rabi sowing. Intensification of boro rice: Boro rice is cultivated in waterlogged low lying or medium lands with irrigation during December to May in Assam, Bihar, Eastern U.P. Odisha and West Bengal. In these regions water accumulates during monsoon months and cannot be drained out in winter months. Boro rice has 2-3 time higher productivity (5-6 t / ha) against traditional kharif rice (1.3-2.5 t / ha). Its yield is more on account of better water management, longer duration, more sunshine and least infestation of pests and diseases. Due to recent floods some more area may be covered under boro rice in the aove mentioned states. Nursery for boro rice is sown in the last week of November to December preferably under polyhouses to protect against coldness. Boro rice may be incentivized by supporting low cost polyhouses and / or low plastic tunnels for raising nursery to avoid cold injury to seedlings where temperatures are low. Increase area under the pre-Rabi Arhar in eastern India: New Arhar varieties suitable for pre-Rabi sowing i.e. last week of August and early September in uplands of Eastern India have given good results. Varieties like ‘Sharad’ can be planted as late as first week of September with yield potential of 2 t/ha. Area of pre-Rabi arhar can be increased in Bihar, eastern U.P. and West Bengal in all uplands to compensate for any losses in production of other Kharif pulse crops in Kharif due to floods. Re-sowing/transplanting of vegetable crops: Losses to vegetable crops grown in river beds and adjoining areas have occurred due to early floods. These crops be planted again in uplands to compensate for losses in their production. Short duration varieties of vegetable crops, would 5 therefore, be required by the farmers. The immediate requirement is, therefore, to arrange for seeds of short duration crop varieties which can be planted again in flood affected areas of Assam, Uttarakhand, U.P., West Bengal and Bihar. Rejuvination of Orchards: Flood affected orchards specially Apple in Himachal Pradesh (Kinnaur) and Uttarakhand need special attention. Training and pruning of affected trees and removal of debris, if any, needs to be taken up immediately. In addition, planting and gap filling in orchards with new saplings can be taken up in the current monsoon season. Similarly, other affected orchards may also be taken up for gap filling with new saplings. Intercultural operation will be helpful in better aeration in the soil and removal of grasses in the orchards. Sowing of fodder crop: Flood affected areas suffer from loss of vegetation, along with loss of sown crops. The immediate need in such areas is to plant fodder crops like jowar, maize and grasses like Sudan grass which grow fast to provide feed to livestock. Necessary arrangement for supply of seeds of fodder crop in such areas may be taken up on priority. Livestock and Fisheries sector Although exact figures are not available about the death of livestock and wild life but there are some qualitative estimates. In flood affected states especially in Uttarakhand apart from loss of livestock, a large number of ponies/ mules have been reported to be stranded at different locations viz. Hemkund, Jingurpani, Rambada and Gaurikund. In Himachal Pradesh, the major causality due to floods is goats and sheep especially in Kinnaur district. It is reported that more than 2000 small ruminants have died in the region. Simalr reports are coming from Assam and Uttar Pradesh Traditionally Riverine Fisheries is predominant in all the flood affected States. It is expected that the high intensity floods would have resulted in damages of natural breeding grounds, flushing down of seedlings (fingerlings) due to high velocity of water 6 and high silt load. Shift in the courses of many of the rivers has been reported . The long term effects and remedies of these changes need to be ascertained. Two major impacts are to be anticipated in the fisheries sector . I. Loss of diversity II. Reduction of fish population in the coming seasons Migration of wild life to safe places has been reported in Kaziranga and other flooded areas. This has exposed them to poachers and proper vigilance is called upon Advisory for Livestock and Fisheries Livestock: It is important to address the following issues in the livestock sector to limit any further loss of livestock wealth, which ensures immediate livelihood opportunities to flood affected farmers in the region. I. Dead animal carcasses, if any, be disposed properly for preventing spread of diseases. II. Erection of temporary animal shelters at community / village level for housing of animals to be initiated on priority. III. Arrangements to be made for adequate supply of feed and fodder by sourcing from neighboring districts/states. A Hub and Spokes model for ensuring supply of feed and fodder to milch animals at farmers door step may be set up. IV. Preventive vaccination against HS, BQ and Enterotoxaemia may be taken up in a campaign mode. Vaccines should be positioned at strategic places for ensuring easy and quick supply. V. Severe worm infestation due to muddy water and non-availability of clean and safe fodder/feed is quite common. Large scale de-worming need to be carried out. 7 Fisheries: As a part of post floods contingent plan, it needs to be ensured that efforts are directed towards de-silting of ponds and tanks, reconstruction of breached embankments and removal of predator fishes if found any. In order to restore fish productivity, artificial reseeding or ranching of water bodies during the post flood period is desirable. Fishermen, who have lost their fishing equipments need to be provided fresh equipments to ensure that they can resume their livelihood activities at the earliest. 8