BALURGHAT: Rainfall since Monday has emerged as a boon for paddy plantations along with jute cultivators in South Dinajpur district.
Suman Sutradhar, weather department official, Majhian said: “From Monday 8.30 am to Tuesday 2 pm, the total rainfall recorded in this district was 214.4 mm. There is a forecast of moderate to light rainfall for the next two days.”
According to him, there has been no deficit rainfall in August so far. “However, there had been a deficit of 20 per cent rainfall in July and 40 per cent in June. We hope that there will be sufficient rainfall in August,” he added.
Farmers have welcomed the rains. Gupin Murmu, a farmer of Balurghat Block, said: “The rainfall has helped us a lot. Earlier, I could not plant Aman paddy because of the lack of rain. With the rains, things are set to change for the better.” Shibu Soren, another farmer of the same block, said: “We were worried owing to the lack of rain in July as the rainfall is required for Aman paddy plantation and jute decomposition. Our agricultural land now has sufficient water for paddy farming. The water bodies are now filled with rainwater, which will be beneficial for jute decomposition as well.”
However, low lying areas of Balurghat have been inundated owing to heavy rains and the civic body has taken steps to pump out the water. A government-run girls’ high school, Patiram Vivekananda Girls High School of Balurghat Block, was forced to stop exams on Tuesday as the school premises became waterlogged.
Dipa Sarkar, headmistress of the school said: “We were compelled to stop the exams on Tuesday due to waterlogging in the school premises.” In many places trees and electric poles were uprooted.