Naveen reviews progress of monsoon

Odisha Channel Bureau Bhubaneswar, July 1: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday reviewed the progress of monsoon and the situation that has arisen due to scanty rainfall in the State so far.Patnaik, who reviewed the situation at a high level meeting held at the State Secretariat, discussed the issue with the District Collectors through video-conferencing and sought to know about the agricultural work in different regions.As the meeting was informed that rainfall was 56 per cent less than normal in the remaining districts barring Nabarangpur, Koraput and Balasore, it was decided to prepare contingency plans to cope with the situation.Since rainfall had been inadequate so far, the Chief Minister directed the Water Resources Department to ensure proper water management at the reservoirs to meet the requirements of drinking water and irrigation.Patnaik also laid stress on electrification of lift irrigation points and establishment of new lift irrigation projects.The officials of the Meteorological Department who attended the meeting, however, informed that the rainfall will be better during the month of July and there was possibility of five per cent additional rainfall than normal.Among others who attended the meeting are Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy, Cooperation and Excise Minister Damodar Rout and Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Bijaysheree Routray.Meanwhile, the weather department in Bhubaneswar predicted that heavy rains were likely to occur at many places across Odisha during the next 24 hours under the influence of the a low pressure area that had been formed over North Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas of Bangladesh and Gangetic West Bengal.The department advised fishermen to be cautious while venturing into sea.