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Famine threatens Tripura as drinking water sources dry up

Sujit Chakraborty in Agartala

The spectre of near famine is stalking Tripura with drinking water sources drying up everywhere in the hilly and remote areas of the state.

Official sources said today that the state government had taken several measures to tackle the situation, arising out of a heat wave and lack of rainfall. The government had also decided to double ration in the drought-prone hilly and remote areas of the state, sources added.

State agriculture department director S K Debbarma told UNI that such a dry spell was being witnessed for the first time in the past 15 years. More than 31 per cent of the 'boro crops' and 26 per cent of the seasonal vegetable crops had been damaged due to lack of water and rain, he pointed out.

Debbarma said crops worth more than Rs 330 million had been damaged in the state. If there is no rainfall in the state in the next 15 to 20 days, the situation would become critical, he said.

Outbreak of enteric diseases in an epidemic form are feared in the hills and remote areas as the people had been forced to drink unhygienic water.

Official sources said many people had died in the hilly and remote areas due to enteric diseases. The agriculture director said the ground water level had gone down considerably in most parts of the state.

The agriculture department's field officials have been asked to work round the clock to tackle the situation and hold regular meetings with farmers.

Local meteorological office sources said the mercury had been hovering between 33 and 35 degrees Celsius in the state. Since December last year only 69.8 mm rainfall had been recorded against 571.30 mm during the corresponding period last year, the sources said adding that during December last year and January and February this year no rainfall had been recorded in the state.

The Tripura government has urged the Centre to provide Rs 500 million to tackle the situation.

State Agriculture Minister Aghore Debbarma told the media that the state government had sent a detailed report to New Delhi about the prevailing dry spell and subsequent damage to crops.

UNI

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