> ICAR asks Bihar's flood-hit farmers to sow mustard > > Patna: Cultivating mustard in areas with sandy soil and sowing paddy instead > of wheat are some of the suggestions in the contingency plan for flood hit > Bihar prepared by India's top agriculture research body. > > With the Kosi river overflowing its banks and flooding large swathes of > Bihar, the Patna based eastern zonal centre of the Indian Council of > Agricultural Research (ICAR) has evolved a plan for farmers to deal with the > crisis, reports IANS. > > Unlike other rivers that bring fertile silt, the Kosi river brings with it > coarse sand and gravel that make the land barren. > > "We have submitted a plan to the state government for timely action," an > official at the ICAR centre here said. > > The ICAR's plan suggests adopting a graded approach to different types of > post flood contingencies. It has also recommended measures to maximise yields > of regular crops like wheat, maize and sugarcane in the flood affected areas. > > According to the ICAR centre, farmers should cultivate pulses in the time > available before the rabi crop in areas where sandy or loamy soil has been > left behind. > > Cultivation of mustard would be the right option in areas which have sandy > soil but are likely to see floodwater draining only after a while. > > The plan suggests that farmers sow a special variety of paddy instead of > wheat if the waters fail to recede completely by rabi season. > > Agriculture scientists said the Kosi waters are receding but the damage > wrought on agriculture land would be known only after the waters drain out > completely. > > The possibility of vast farmlands turning barren looms large as the Kosi > river, which changed course over four weeks ago killing over 50 people and > affecting over 3.1 million people, is leaving behind a trail of sand in > fertile soil. > > The state agriculture department has estimated that standing crops in large > parts of Madhepura, Supaul, Saharsa, Araria and Purnea districts have been > destroyed. > > "The standing crops including paddy, maize are gone, there is no chance of > their survival," an official said. > > ICAR (Patna) Director MA Khan is busy with his team of scientists to study > the damage. "It will be difficult to say how much damage the floods have > caused until the waters recede fully," Khan said. > > He said productivity loss due to large agricultural lands turning into sand > dunes could be obviated to an extent by using quality seeds. > > Farmers would have to diversify into horticulture to bridge the loss of > incomes, Khan added. > > With fears that a large amount of sand had accumulated on agricultural land > in the flood-affected districts, the government plans to begin soil testing > from 25 samples collected from affected villages. > > "This will tell us the ground reality whether the farmlands will turn barren > or if agriculture will be possible," Agriculture Minister Nagmani said. > > Over 3.1 million people and nearly one million cattle have been affected by > the floods triggered by the Kosi river following a breach in an embankment > upstream in Nepal on August 18. Nearly three lakh houses are believed to have > been damaged. > > > Click to get the daily dose of news on good governance at iGovernment. _________________________________________________________________ Movies, sports & news! Get your daily entertainment fix, only on live.com http://www.live.com/?scope=video&form=MICOAL
