As many as 13 out of 23 districts in the state have recorded a deficit in rainfall ranging from 3 to 31% since the start of the Kharif season on June 1.
Concern is growing in Andhra Pradesh with drastic fall in area cultivated under paddy because of deficit rainfall in the ongoing Kharif season.
As against the normal area of 26.48 lakh hectares, paddy cultivation has been taken up in only 9.40 lakh ha so far, triggering alarm bells about the fall in rice output from the state that is considered a rice bowl.
As many as 13 out of 23 districts in the state have recorded a deficit in rainfall ranging from 3 to 31% since the start of the Kharif season on June 1.
The perennially drought-hit Anantapur district recorded a 31% deficit rainfall followed by Nizamabad (24%) and Nalgonda and Visakhapatnam (21% each). Kurnool district got three per cent less than normal rain so far this season.
State Revenue Minister N Raghuveera Reddy, Agriculture Minister Kanna Lakshminarayana and Municipal Administration Minister M Maheedhar Reddy reviewed the situation with district Collectors through a video-conference from Hyderabad on Thursday and wanted the agriculture department to prepare farmers for taking up irrigated dry (ID) crops as an alternative.
"Prakasam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts have prepared contingency plans for taking up alternative crops in view of the deficit rainfall. Other districts where the rainfall is deficit (-20 to -59%) or scanty (-60 to -99%) too should encourage farmers to take up ID crops," the ministers told the Collectors.
The direct seeding system being adopted in Guntur district, with the initiative of Collector S Suresh Kumar, should be emulated in other districts as well since it would not only save water utilisation but also reduce the cost of cultivation drastically.
"There will also be no reduction in yield because of this system," Agriculture Principal Secretary Nagi Reddy said.
As many as 335 revenue mandals (tehsils) in the state recorded deficient rainfall till yesterday while another 27 recorded scanty rainfall. In 468 mandals the rainfall was normal and in 298 it was excessive.
"Besides encouraging alternative crops, Collectors should ensure prompt disbursal of input subsidy to farmers and take steps to overcome drinking water problem," the ministers said.
A sum of Rs1,800 crore has been released towards input subsidy, they added.
The state government released Rs45 crore to the districts for ensuring drinking water supply through tankers.
Principal Secretaries T Radha (Disaster Management), B Sam Bob (Municipal Administration), Manmohan Singh (Animal Husbandry) and other senior officials attended the meeting.
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