RAJBIRAJ, August 12

The local administration in Saptari on Wednesday offered a puja at a local temple invoking the god of rain as farmers here are worried due to insufficient rain even in the midst of the rainy season.

Citing inadequate precipitation, which has put farmers who solely rely on rainfall for paddy cultivation in jitters, a team from the District Administration Office led by Chief District Officer Birendra Kumar Yadav offered a puja at Baba Banskhandi Math in Lohajara VDC-9.

CDO Yadav and Local Development Officer Komal Prasad Dhamala fasted on Wednesday while carrying out the rituals of the puja for virtually the entire day.

It has been learnt that the District Development Committee had released 33,000 rupees for the puja this year following the annual practice of offering a puja with government fund in case of drought in previous years as well.

“I am witness to the times when rainfall occurred after the puja started, so I’m hopeful this year also though this year the puja has been delayed by more than one month or so,” said a local Jaya Sundar Mahatman.

Dhamala said only 40 per cent of the fields have been cultivated in the district.“As people have faith that the puja will bring rain, we organised it respecting their faith,” he said.

Besides the CDO and LDO, chiefs of security bodies in the district also participated in the puja on Wednesday.