Farmers urged to avoid paddy amid El Niño fears

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday urged farmers to shift from water-intensive crops such as paddy to alternative crops, warning that the second half of the monsoon after August could be more severe due to the impact of El Niño.

Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Information & Public Relations Minister K. Parthasarathy said the state has recorded a 51% rainfall deficit and the IMD has forecast worsening conditions in the coming months. Ministers have been asked to educate farmers on likely irrigation shortages and encourage crop diversification.

Parthasarathy said nearly 70% of Kharif sowing in the Godavari and Krishna deltas has already been completed. He cautioned against drilling new borewells as groundwater levels are expected to decline further. Water inflows into the Polavaram project currently stand at 38,000 cusecs, far below the usual one lakh cusecs for this time of year.

The Agriculture Department will distribute seed kits for dry crops under a post-monsoon programme and support farmers adopting less water-intensive cultivation. The government is also preparing contingency plans to ensure drinking water supply if needed.

The Cabinet also approved a degree college for hearing-impaired students in Bapatla district, Rs 50 crore for Godavari Pushkaralu-2027 preparations, Rs 25,000 annual assistance for BPL weavers under the Nethanna Sevalo scheme, a Rs 300-crore loan guarantee for APMARKFED, and a compressed biogas plant in Chittoor district.