Take alternative steps to ensure not one acre dries up in A.P., officials told amid El Nino woes

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Animals graze in an almost dried-up field in a village in Chimakurthy mandal of Prakasam district. | Photo Credit: KOMMURI SRINIVAS

The Andhra Pradesh government has directed officials to ensure that not a single acre of cultivated land dries up due to the impact of El Nino, while urging farmers to shift towards less-water-intensive crops, Information and Public Relations Minister Kolusu Parthasarathy said on Thursday.

Briefing the media at the Secretariat after the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Mr. Parthasarathy said the Chief Minister had ordered immediate measures to ensure drinking water supply and irrigation facilities, besides creating awareness among farmers on crop diversification.

The State had so far received 52% less rainfall than normal and was among the two States recording the lowest rainfall in the country, he said. Normally, nearly 90% of the cultivated area would have been brought under cultivation by this time, but only 60-65% had been covered this year, indicating the severity of the situation.

The Chief Minister directed Ministers, elected representatives and officials to visit fields and advise farmers on suitable crop alternatives. The government would prepare 90,000 kg of seeds of less-water-intensive crops for distribution and had approved ₹90 crore towards seed subsidy, the Minister said.

Officials were also asked to address fodder shortages and promote fodder cultivation with the participation of VB-G RAM G. Horticultural crops should also be protected by ensuring water availability. Where necessary, water could be diverted from nearby tanks through G RAM G works, while farmers would be encouraged to adopt drip irrigation, he said.

Awareness programmes would be organised with faculty members of agricultural universities and colleges to promote profitable crops requiring less water. Farmers cultivating paddy would be advised about its high water requirement and encouraged to consider alternative crops in view of the irrigation constraints caused by El Nino.

Mr. Parthasarathy said drinking water shortages could also emerge across the State. Proposals were being prepared for all 14,829 habitations to ensure uninterrupted drinking water supply. Depending on local conditions, borewells and tankers would be used, and tankers could even be hired from other States if required.

The government would keep the Centre informed about the El Nino situation and seek greater drought assistance. Andhra Pradesh ranked sixth nationally in weather-based insurance, he said, adding that the government was planning to combine Central, State and G RAM G funds to tackle drought conditions.

Rejecting reports that NIELIT was being shifted from Tirupati, Mr. Parthasarathy said the claims were baseless. He said a Quantum AI University was being established in Amaravati to strengthen the State's capabilities in artificial intelligence and three universities had received approval for establishment in Andhra Pradesh.

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