Drought-hit Mahabubnagar district and its environs could see more dry conditions in the years ahead because of the impact of climate change. To help the farmers tackle the crises with a multi-fold scientific approach in practices and livelihoods, the Central Government initiated a pilot project, said Environment Protection Training and Research Institute (EPTRI) director general Kalyan Chakravarthy here on Wednesday.
Addressing district officials of Nagarkurnool also at the ZP meeting hall, he said that the ₹ 24-crore project will be executed by the EPTRI along with TS Department of Agriculture, NABARD, ICRISAT and Prof. Jayashankar TS Agricultural University in three clusters of Mahabubnagar, Wanaparthy and Nagarkurnool covering five villages each in Jadcherla, Bijanapalli and Ghanpur mandals.
An agriculture officer will be appointed for every 2,000 acres in these areas for four years to interact and hand hold the farmers in taking up climate resilient agricultural interventions based on choosing crop varieties which can withstand high temperatures, mixed cropping, micro irrigation, marketing along with helping in water management, poultry, animal husbandry, etc.
Farm scientists and others will be closely monitoring the project implementation and if the outcomes are positive, the same could be replicated elsewhere in the country, said Collector Ronald Ross. His colleague Sridhar from Nagarkurnool and others were present.
