Drought-hit Indian states seek US$14.83 billion in federal aid

India's 11 drought-hit states have sought a total of INR720 billion (US$14.83 billion) in financial aid from the federal government, The Hindu newspaper reported Friday (September 11).

The report quoted unidentified sources as saying the federal government has already given INR167.3 billion to the states as aid, but the bulk of it hasn't been spent.

India faced its driest June in 83 years and the annual monsoon rains, crucial to summer-sown crops, have been scanty during the peak sowing period. Rainfall in the June 1-Sept. 9 period has been 20 percent below the 50-year average.

India's federal farm ministry plans to send a team of experts to drouaght-hit areas to help reduce damage to summer-sown crops and oversee sowing of the winter crop, according to a government statement late Thursday.

The summer-sown rice acreage is expected to fall by 4.5 million-5 million hectares in 2009-10, from an average acreage of 39.1 million hectares.