Bhubaneswar: Odisha government Saturday urged people not to panic over the possibility of El Nino conditions affecting the monsoon, asserting that the state was fully prepared with contingency plans to deal with any adverse situation.
Discussion on the possible impact of El Nino gained momentum after Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Friday identified it as one of the major challenges before the state.
“Possible El Nino is one of the challenges before the state,” Majhi had said.
According to meteorologists, El Nino is generally associated with below-normal rainfall, higher temperatures, prolonged dry spells and drought-like conditions.
However, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari expressed confidence that Odisha would receive normal rainfall during the monsoon season, which reached parts of the state Friday.
Releasing a booklet and a video highlighting the achievements of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department over the past two years, Pujari appealed to farmers not to worry about the possible weather phenomenon.
Accompanied by Additional Chief Secretary Arabinda Padhee, the minister said, “Odisha is unlikely to face any major challenges due to El Nino conditions. Though rainfall is expected to be lower in several parts of the country, the situation in Odisha may remain normal and there is nothing alarming.”
“We are expecting normal rainfall this year as well. Even if there is a shortfall, the state government is fully prepared with contingency measures,” he told reporters.
Pujari said his department, in coordination with other departments, had already formulated alternative strategies, including contingency plans, to tackle any potential rainfall deficit.
Discussions were underway with Agriculture and other departments to ensure coordinated preparedness for any weather-related eventuality, he said.
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The minister said Odisha’s normal monsoon rainfall is 1,452 mm and expressed hope that precipitation this season would remain around that level.
“The government has made adequate preparations for water conservation, protection of water bodies and implementation of irrigation projects to support agricultural activities during the monsoon,” he said.
Officials said that while El Nino generally leads to reduced rainfall and dry conditions, other climatic factors such as the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) also influence monsoon behaviour. Neutral IOD conditions are currently prevailing and are expected to continue, they said.
Highlighting the department’s achievements, Pujari said it had addressed several land classification-related issues, established the Shri Jagannath Mahaprabhu Land Cell, opened 108 new sub-registrar offices and introduced measures for simplification and expeditious disposal of land-related cases.
He also cited the department’s role in conducting census-related work, ensuring prompt disbursal of disaster compensation and managing cyclones, including Dana and Mantha, with zero casualties.
The minister said the state government would soon introduce a new Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act along with several other reform measures.
Meanwhile, the opposition BJD criticised the state government, alleging failures in land administration, corruption control and public service delivery.
“The revenue administration has been plagued by unprecedented delays in mutation cases, updating of Record of Rights (RoR), land revenue abatement and compensation-related matters. Thousands of cases remain pending across the state, forcing citizens to endure prolonged uncertainty, legal disputes and financial hardship,” BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty alleged at a press conference here.
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