AP draws up El Niño action plan due to rainfall deficit

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

With Andhra Pradesh experiencing a sharp rainfall deficit during the southwest monsoon, the state government has directed the Agriculture Department to implement a comprehensive action plan to mitigate the impact of possible El Niño conditions and protect standing crops.

Agriculture Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu, while addressing a webinar with field-level officials of the Agriculture and allied departments on Sunday, instructed officials to focus on crop protection, soil moisture conservation, promotion of alternative crops, emergency seed distribution and climate-resilient farming practices. He also directed the department to establish a 24×7 State El Niño Control Room to monitor weather, satellite data, water availability and field-level conditions on a real-time basis.

According to the minister, Andhra Pradesh has recorded only 104.5 mm of rainfall against the normal 225.7 mm during the monsoon period so far, reflecting a 53.7% deficit. Of the state’s 28 districts, 21 fall under the rainfall deficit category, while West Godavari, East Godavari, Annamayya, Visakhapatnam, Chittoor and Prakasam have been classified as facing severe rainfall deficiency. Nellore is the only district to have received normal rainfall.

At the mandal level, 249 mandals are in the severe rainfall deficit category and 359 mandals are experiencing rainfall deficit. Officials said 168 mandals and 1,357 Rythu Seva Kendras (RSKs) have been identified as high-risk areas requiring closer monitoring.

The minister said the state had achieved crop sowing in 16.35 lakh hectares against the seasonal normal of 30.84 lakh hectares, with paddy, soybean, cotton and mesta showing relatively better progress, while groundnut, sunflower, sorghum and horse gram remain significantly behind schedule. He instructed officials to accelerate the shift from long-duration paddy to suitable alternative crops wherever necessary.

To ensure seed availability, the government has prepared 14,078 quintals of contingency seeds, including pulses and millets, through the Andhra Pradesh State Seed Development Corporation, with additional stocks available through Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University and Krishi Vigyan Kendras. The minister also directed officials to implement an emergency seed plan in phases, requiring 26,950 quintals by July 31 for drought-prone regions such as Anantapur, Kurnool and Markapur, followed by an additional 95,838 quintals by August 15 across 21 districts.