Farmers of the Krishna Western Delta (KWD) in Prakasam district have forgone paddy cultivation this kharif, owing to water scarcity.
Though the peasants have faced water shortage year after year, after the increase in the height of the Almatti dam and construction of Narayanpur in upper riparian State of Karnataka, they used to scrape through during Khariff season every year by getting water at least in September before the withdrawal of the Southwest monsoon.
“Paddy cultivation during kharif in 28,000 hectares in the Krishna Western Delta has been ruled out,” laments TDP farmers’ wing leader Jagarlamudi Anil Babu in a conversation with The Hindu . “We are hoping against hope for rains in the Krishna catchment areas at least in October to raise paddy at least during dalwa as no other crop can be undertaken in the low-lying areas in the delta,” he said.
As an alternative crop, farmers have prepared their land for sowing bengal gram in 20 per cent of the normal cropped area of 28,000 hectares in the delta.However, their counterparts in the Nagarjunasgar command area have switched over to red gram, with bajra, vegetables and black gram as intercrop in around 1 lakh hectares, thanks to rains in August and September.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Joint Director J. Muralikrishna said that the overall agricultural situation had improved with the crop coverage going up to 99 per cent of the kharif average of 2.44 lakh hectares.
The prospects for alternative crops are very good and the water availability is comfortable in 35 of the 56 mandals in the district, he said. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Kaulu Rythula Sangham state general secretary N. Ranga Rao wanted the government to come to the rescue of farmers by announcing compensation for those who could not take up cultivation this kharif due to vagaries of nature. “Tenant farmers are the most vulnerable section with their little access to institutional credit,” he said referring to a cotton grower who committed suicide in Chenchureddypalem on Friday owing to failure of crops for the last four years.
