Summer worries for Uttaranchal farmers

NDTV Correspondent

Wednesday, February 22, 2006 (Deharadun):

Summer has made an early appearance in Uttaranchal with the rare sight of flowers in full bloom in February.

The state's wheat farmers are far from happy, as the crop in the hills is dependent on rain for irrigation.

Farmers say streams have dried up without rain and crops have failed.

Survival techniques

The weather department said it is advising farmers to shift wherever irrigation facilities are available.

"Irrigate crops at short intervals and apply light irrigation especially in the evening," said Anand Sharma, Director of the Met Department in Dehradun.

Applying water in the daytime will cause more evaporation and water loss will take place, he explained.

In the dry hills of Uttaranchal the out of season flowering and withering crops is a warning that weather patterns are increasingly abnormal.

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