MAHABUBNAGAR: The prevailing adverse seasonal conditions have forced the district administration to undertake cloud seeding, according to District Collector V.Usha Rani. Addressing a specially convened meeting of senior agriculture officers here on Monday, the Collector said that rainfall received so far in the season was minus 42 per cent. She said that 16 mandals out of 64 in the district have not received a single drop of rain water in the last 15 days affecting the standing crop badly.

The Collector also said that there was no water in any of the 3,100 small and medium irrigation sources and even drinking water is posing a problem in most villages.

Fate of castor

She said that castor crop sown in Atmakur, Narva , Dhanwada and Chinna Chinthakunta mandals has dried up already and there was threat to other crops like sunflower, maize, groundnut and redgram.

Against such a background it was decided to write a letter to the Commissioner of Relief requesting for necessary steps to ensure cloud seeding in September. The Collector said that cloud seeding was the only alternative to saving the standing crop and to filling the irrigation sources.

Later the Collector also reviewed the progress of works in implementation of A.P.M.I.P project and horticulture .The meeting was attended by joint Director, Agriculture,Nagappa among others.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail