The state government has identified as many as 67 districts as among those having experienced scanty or inadequate rainfall during the current monsoon season.

Twenty of those declared 'drought-hit' are Ballia, Mau, Ghazipur, Basti, Deoria, Sant Kabirnagar, Ambedkar Nagar, Jaunpur, Sultanpur, Rae Bareli, Unnao, Hardoi, Farrukhabad, Mainpuri, Kanpur (Rural), Fatehpur, Kanshi Ram Nagar, Hathras, Barielly and Kannauj.

Instructions have been issued for preparing a drought relief package that would be shortly submitted to the central government.

Meanwhile, according to weather reports, Uttar Pradesh has received only about 128 cm of rainfall since June 1 as against the expected normal rainfall of about 307 cm. In the 20 drought-hit districts, the recorded rainfall was barely 60 cm.

According to official estimates, scanty rain had adversely affected about 53 lakh hectares of paddy area, where sowing could not carried out properly on account of inadequate water availability.