Bhubaneswar, Aug. 26: Opposition in the Assembly today demanded a white paper on the state’s drought situation and the measures the government has taken to tackle it.

“The situation is alarming with as many as 19 districts recording deficient rainfall over the past couple of months,” said leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh.

Owing to lack of adequate rain, paddy plants have dried up with no yield. “Nuakhai (harvest) festival is round the corner but the farmers of western Orissa have no new harvest to celebrate,” Singh said.

“Lack of government support in the form of credit input, seeds and fertilisers has left the farmers high and dry,” he said, adding that the distressed farmers were committing suicide because of crop failure and their inability to repay loan.

Stating that the dry spell would also affect hydro power generation, irrigation and drinking water supply, the Opposition leader demanded a white paper on the rainfall position and contingency measures taken by the Orissa government.

Supporting the demand, senior Congress member S.S. Saluja urged the government to declare the affected pockets as drought-hit and provide necessary assistance.

BJP legislature party leader K.V. Singhdeo said the government should declare the affected areas as drought-hit without waiting for the eye-estimation report.

However, former agriculture minister Damodar Rout said the government should not declare rainfall deficient areas as drought-hit under political pressure. He advised the ministers to undertake field visits instead of holding review meetings in the districts.

Agriculture minister Pradeep Maharathy said fertiliser had been sent to Korapur.