Monsoon plays truant, drought looms large

BHUBANESWAR: With rainfall intensity on the wane, western and southern parts of Orissa are reeling from a prolonged dry spell which threatens to get out of control if the monsoon does not revive anytime soon.
As on Saturday, 16 districts recorded deficient rainfall. This being the period for transplantation of paddy, it is bad news for the farmers. With the reports of farmer suicides coming in, the absence of rain could mean more trouble for the State Government too. The Agriculture Department is already busy preparing a contingency plan for the farmers.