Bhubaneswar, June 30: Odisha witnessed a sluggish monsoon in June with the State recording a massive rainfall deficit of 52 per cent, raising concerns over a potential drought-like situation, especially in key agricultural belts of the State.

This prolonged dry spell has stalled paddy sowing and hindered seed germination.

The dry spell indicates that El Niño may already be playing a role in depressing the monsoon in the country.

Meanwhile, weather experts also raised doubts over the possible formation of Low Pressure Areas over the Bay of Bengal shattering the hopes of farmers.

Odisha’s paddy cultivation has been impacted due to rainfall deficit during the Kharif cultivation season, triggering fears of drought among farmers.

Usually, farmers sow paddy seeds in May/June for seed germination with actual farming activities beginning in July first week. Now, with the absence of monsoon rain, farmers across the State are worried over the perspective of the crop this year.

The State has so far recorded 96.1% mm rainfall against the normal of 201.4 mm. Not a single district recorded a good spell. As many as nine districts have recorded 60%-80% deficit rainfall. Debagarh district topped the list with 80% deficit rainfall followed by Kalahandi (74%), Angul and Malkangiri (68%) each, Bolangir (65%), Boudh (63%) and Puri (60%).

According to weather expert Prof Durendranath Pasupalak, the rainfall activities continue to remain in Odisha for 135 days during which the Kharif crops do not need water in the last 15 days. So, with 15 days already being going dry, the paddy crops with a 120-day harvesting period can’t be grown in upper agricultural areas other than low lying agricultural fields.

Such scenario was also witnessed in 2002 too in the State.

If rainfall activities don’t revive, the water level in reservoirs will go down affecting the irrigation facilities.

According to weather scientist Dr Sarat Chandra Sahu, the State may witness a good spell of rainfall activities till July 5 due to a possible low pressure area over Bay of Bengal around July 1.

The State has around 63 reservoirs, including 10 major ones, which can irrigate 4.3 million hectares, sources said.