The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Emphasis on contingency plan

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Thursday, Jul 17, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Emphasis on contingency plan

N. Rahul

HYDERABAD: The State is reeling under a near drought situation at the peak of the agricultural season with the deficit rainfall touching a new high of 39 per cent on Wednesday. The sowings were taken up just over 23 lakh hectares out of 79 lakh hectares expected in the season.

With the exception of Tungabhadra, which is receiving about 8,000 cusecs, the inflows into all major reservoirs were nil. In fact, the storage in Srisailam was only 56.54 tmcft against a maximum of 246.87 tmcft. The cumulative rainfall in the State since the onset of south-west monsoon was only 120 mm against a normal of 197. A redeeming feature, however, was good rains in the last two days in Anantapur district which has more than half of the groundnut area in the State.

Realising the gravity of the situation, authorities started working on measures to shift farmers to alternate crops which are of short duration if the present dry spell did not abate. Based on inputs by Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, the Agriculture Department has decided to promote redgram, castor, sunflower, jowar and horsegram. Additional Director of Agriculture I.D. Rushendranath told The Hindu that the Government would be recommended to supply seed at subsidised rates to the five crops. In expectation of good rains as in the last four seasons, he said farmers raised nurseries of paddy on a large extent of area.

The coverage was 2.93 lakh hectares against 2.82 lakh hectares as on date last year. The farmers did not go for nurseries only in the ayacut of tanks since the storage of water in them was poor.

The agriculture officials assured farmers that there was no harm in raising nurseries despite failure of monsoon.

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