Poor monsoon rains have triggered drought fears in half of Orissa, an official said Thursday.

'At least 15 of state's 30 districts have recorded less then normal (averagge) rains,' a senior official of the state agriculture department told IANS.

Paddy and other kharif crops are likely to be the worst affected in the tribal populated districts of Sundergarh and Mayurbhanj, he said.

A good monsoon is crucial for this eastern state which contributes almost one-tenth of India's rice production.

Last year, 3,264 villages in 15 of the state's 30 districts faced a drought due to a scanty monsoon and erratic rains.

'The state had received rains 21 per cent below normal (average) by the end of August, as a result of which the threat of drought is looming in several districts', he said.

The other districts which received less rains included Jajpur, Angul, Deogarh, Sambalpur, Keonjhar, Subarnapur, and Kendrapada, he said.