Andhra Pradesh   

Scanty rainfall hits kharif plan

By Our Staff Reporter

KARIMNAGAR, JUNE 24 . The Karimnagar district is on the verge of drought-like conditions again. Dry weather, severe heat waves, deficit rainfall, little or no inflow into irrigation projects and the depletion of groundwater have forced a steep decline in the area under cultivation this kharif.

In several areas, germinated seedlings of cotton, maize, green gram and other crop are withering due to poor moisture content in the soil. Transplantation in paddy nurseries is yet to begin, as water from irrigation sources is unavailable.

Irrigation officials say the district received 32.8 mm of rain in the five rainy days this season against the 152.2 mm that is normal in June. None of the medium or minor irrigation sources have received water; the water table in the wells has not improved. The major irrigation project, SRSP, has not had any inflow this season.

Against its full reservoir level (FRL) of 1091 feet, the SRSP presently has 1045.90 feet of water. Last year the water level in June was 1046.23 feet. The LMD reservoir has a water level of 878.25 feet against an FRL of 920 feet, and the water table in the medium irrigation projects of Narmal (Upper manair dam) and Shanigaram is below sill. The Boggulavagu project has a level of 501 feet; its FRL is 523.05 feet.

Officials from the Department of Agriculture said here today that the area under cultivation this season had come down drastically. Only about 6.3 per cent of the proposed area of 3,63,465 hectares in the district have been sown; withering has already set in.

Official records say maize, which was sown in 13,270 hectares because of the early arrival of rains, has started withering due to moisture stress and heat wave conditions.

There has been no germination of the seed in 9,250 hectares. Cotton seedlings have begun to wither in about 3,500 hectares and green gram in 6,430 hectares.

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