Bihar Government Declared 33 Districts as Drought-Affected

The State Government of Bihar on 18 September 2013 approved the proposal of Disaster Management department for declaring the 33 districts of Bihar out of 38 as drought-hit. This happened because of insufficient rainfall as well as long summer.

The decision about this was taken considering the deficient monsoon of 2013. Bihar received 25 percent less rainfall at 668.6 mm from 1 June 2013 to 11 September 2013 in comparison to annual average rainfall of 892.2 mm. Because of this, there was a decrease in paddy sowing, which adversely affected the paddy cultivation.

Also, the rainfall scarcity depleted the underground water table, thereby creating the drought conditions in 33 districts of Bihar. Employment and cattle rearing has been affected as well. The Government of Bihar, in the meanwhile, has started mobilising the funds from State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

The State Government of Bihar also put on hold, the collection of cess and land rent, electricity bills, irrigation charge as well as cooperative loans from the farmers in affected districts for 2013-14. Apart from this, the Bihar Government decided to take up relief measures for salvaging the standing crops.

The districts which were declared as drought affected are Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Bhojpur, Buxar, Aurangabad, Nawada, Patna, Kaimur, Saharsa, Supaul, Nalanda, Gaya, Samastipur, East and West Champaran, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Sheikhpura, Lakhisarai, Gopalganj, Vaishali, Siwan, Sheohar, Jamui, Begusarai, Jehanabad, Munger, Bhagalpur, Saran, Purnea, Katihar, Madhepura and Khagaria.