[ Prafulla Kaman ]
PASIGHAT, 29 Jan: A long spell of drought-like situation during the winter season is affecting oilseed production in the entire Siang valley, including East Siang, Lower Siang and parts of Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts in bordering Assam.
Due to scanty rainfall in the region, the water levels in the hilly rivers and perennial streams of the region are drying up, while bamboo groves and grasses in the riverbank areas have turned brown due to lack of surface water.
The affected areas include Pasighat, Mebo, Monggu Banggo, Yagrung, Sille-Oyan, Ruksin and Bilat circles of East Siang and adjoining Lower Dibang Valley and Dhemaji district (Assam).
East Siang and few other districts of central Arunachal zone witnessed early-season dry spell, combined with continued deficits in rainfall during the monsoon season and post-monsoon period, creating drought-like conditions in the region. The unfavourable weather situation caused worry among the local farmers, and they moved the district authorities for a contingency crop plan.
The drought-like situation persisted during peak monsoon season (June-July), lasting till the winter as there has been no rainfall since the month of August onwards.
Scientists serving with different technical institutions such as the KVK and the College of Horticulture and Forestry (CHF) here have observed that scanty rainfall in the region last monsoon adversely affected paddy cultivation, while post monsoon drought is affecting the growth and fruit formation of rabi crops and oilseeds.
“Inadequate water in the soil is affecting the growth of the stems and fruit formation of the oilseeds,” said Dr Dinesh Kumar, assistant professor (agronomy), working in the department of natural resource management of the CHF.
On the other hand, rabi crops, kharif vegetables and nurseries also faced establishment failures, depriving farmers of immediate seasonal income and seedlings for successive crops. These combined effects highlight the vulnerability of the state’s agrarian economy to unfavourable weather conditions.
