Question : Drought Assistance

(a) the details of the drought affected districts of various States in the country during the last three years and the current year, State-wise along with the estimated monetary loss due to these droughts during the said period;

(b) whether the Central team has visited the drought affected States during the said period, if so, the outcome thereof;

(c) whether the Government has prepared any contingency plan to tackle the drought situation in the country, if so, the details thereof, State-wise;

(d) whether the Government has provided compensation, diesel subsidy and other rebates to the farmers of drought affected States, if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the details of the allocation made and released by the Union Government to various drought affected States during the last three years and current year, State-wise?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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(a) & (b): State Governments initiate necessary relief measures to farmers in the wake of drought from State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) which is readily available with them. Additional financial assistance to State Government, over and above SDRF, is considered from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) on receipt of relief memoranda from State Governments and in accordance with extant norms and procedures.

Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) visited the affected districts and recommended central financial assistance. The details of financial assistance approved State-wise by the Government of India from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for the last three years and the current year are at Annexure-I.

(c): Central Research Institute of Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), in collaboration with State Agricultural Universities has prepared contingency plans for 600 districts for implementing location specific interventions to sustain agriculture production in the eventuality of any extreme climatic events. Details of district-wise contingency plan are at Annexure-II.

(d) & (e): Government has taken several measures to meet the challenge of drought/drought like situation in the country.

Besides others measures and provision of funds under SDRF as also NDRF, the following interventions have been made in the wake of deficient rainfall as per Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast of below average monsoon:

a) Implementation of Diesel Subsidy Scheme for protective irrigation of crops;

b) Enhancement of ceiling on seed subsidy to partially recompense the farmer for the additional expenditure incurred in resowing and/or purchasing appropriate varieties of seeds;
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c) Implementation of interventions on perennial horticulture crops under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH);

d) Implementation of Additional Fodder Development Programme (AFDP) as a sub-scheme of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).
States have been advised to ensure availability of short duration and drought tolerant varieties of seeds so as to be in a position to supply them to farmers in case such a need arises. All State Governments have also been advised to initiate advance remedial action e.g. constructing water harvesting structures under MGNREGA and other such schemes, promoting agronomic practices for moisture conservation, promoting cultivation of less water consuming crops and restoring irrigation infrastructure by desilting canals, energizing tube-wells, replacing/repairing faulty pumps, etc.