Bihar State Disaster Management
Bihar is prone to multiple natural hazards. It is affected by flood, drought, earthquake, cyclone, hailstorm, fire etc. Flood and drought are recurrent problem. 28 districts, which are mostly in north Bihar are food prone and 17 districts of south Bihar are considered drought prone. Flood, drought, cyclone andhailstorm damage crops and consequently crop production is affected.
Flood, drought, cyclone and hailstorm damage standing crops whereas due to drought not only the standing crop is affected but crop coverage is reduced due to lack of moisture. Therefore large cultivable area remains barren.
Fire, which is mostly accidental affects standing crops and the crops on the threshing floor.
The affected farmers get input subsidy as par the provisions of Calamity Relief Fund(At present State Calamity Response Fund).The input subsidy is provided in cases when loss is more than 30 percent of the standing crop.
However, farmers get no support for the area remaining fallow or uncovered.
To protect agriculture from these calamities there need to be long term and short term measures.
There has been paradigm shift in disaster management.Now disaster management is not only relief but in broader perspective it involves preparation, mitigation, response relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction.
The disaster management perspective of agriculture sector would entail
preparation,mitigation,response and relief.
The following measures would be
initiated to mitigate the impact of damage caused due to flood and drought:
• Flood hazard maps for flood prone districts and contingent crop planning for mitigating the impact of flood and creating awareness among farmers about the same.
• Contigent crop plan and creating awareness about the same in drought prone districts.
• Deputation of agriculture scientist for timely advisories in case calamities like drought and flood.
• Administrative measures to ensure canal water upto the tail end of irrigation canal.
• Measures for implementation of crop insurance,timely repayment of indemnity claims from insurance companies.
• Since the input subsidy is very small, matching grant will be provided from
state plan.
• Drought resistant varieties will be promoted in drought prone districts and submergence tolerant varieties in flood prone districts.
• Bihar Rajya Beej Nigam can set up a seed bank in which short duration
varieties of rice and other suitable crops can be kept so that it could be
utilized in case of need.
• Input subsidy is a major strategic intervention in case of crop damage due to disasters.
👉Also Read|Challenges To Agriculture In Bihar
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