Calcutta, Oct. 18: For three consecutive years now, Bengal has received less-than-normal rainfall.

This year, rainfall in Gangetic (or south) Bengal was 22 per cent less than what it should have been ? the second steepest shortfall in 25 years.

In this period, the only other occasion when there was rain shortage two years on the trot was in 1982-83.

The government, worried over the trend, has sought weather and agriculture experts’ opinion on ways to deal with such crises by proper agricultural planning.

Experts from the Indian Meteorological Department, Bidhan Chandra Agriculture University and the North Bengal Agriculture University are being invited to suggest how the climatic changes can be accommodated in the cropping pattern. A meeting at Writers’ Buildings on October 26 will discuss all aspects of the rainfall crisis.

According to Dhabaleswar Konar, the director of agriculture, the deficit rainfall has meant paddy could not be cultivated on about 2.5 lakh hectares every kharif season. The target every season is to cover around 45 lakh hectares.

“What we have done is convince farmers to sow crops that require less water like groundnut, maize and pulses. We have to explore more areas and find out how we can achieve maximum crop with minimum water,” an official said.

The net cropped area in the state is 54 lakh hectares, in which mostly paddy, jute, sugarcane, wheat, vegetables and fruits and potato are grown.

“There is reason enough to be cautious with this pattern of rainfall, as it ultimately affects the groundwater reserves. In the absence of surface water because of lack of rainfall, farmers tend to draw excess of groundwater. It is here that the government needs to intervene in deciding which crops can be grown alternatively, so that there can be a judicious use of the water available for farming,” said Swa- desh Mishra, the agriculture department meteorologist.

If farmers continue to lift groundwater without knowing how much is available, their crops may suffer at a crucial stage. In the face of a crisis, the idea, therefore, is to grow crops ? at least in some areas ? that require less water, Mishra added.

“We are expecting concrete suggestions from the experts so that some definite measures can be taken,” said a senior official of the agriculture department.