The prevailing drought conditions and depletion of water table in the major irrigation projects of SRSP and Lower Manair Dam
have spelt doom for the farmers this rabi season as there was a steady decline in the area of cultivation. Against the normal area of cultivation of 2,38,546 hectares in rabi season, the cultivation was taken up in only 40,899 hectares this season in the district.
Around this time last year, the farmers had cultivated in 2,98,564 hectares during the season following good rainfall and heavy inflows into major reservoirs.
This season, the farmers are a worried lot over the cultivation due to non-availability of adequate water sources from the major irrigation projects. The water level at SRSP is only 21 tmcs against its full capacity of 90 tmcs and LMD is only 8 tmcs against full capacity of 24 tmcs.
The existing water level at the two major irrigation projects would be sufficient only to meet the drinking water requirement in the coming summer season and irrigation authorities have ruled our release of water for the farm activities.
Preference to ID cropsIn the meantime, the farmers in both the SRSP command area and non-command area, who have groundwater table, were preferring only Irrigated Dry (ID)) crops instead of traditional paddy cultivation. It may be recalled that the Karimnagar district topped in paddy production in the State during the rabi. Unfortunately, due to drought conditions, the paddy cultivation had declined considerably in the district.
The agricultural authorities have intensified their awareness programmes educating the farming community to take up only ID crops and also vegetables for better returns due to shortage of water and power during the season.
The authorities said that the farm production during this season would decline considerably in the district due to the prevailing drought conditions. However, the maize cultivation is increasing steadily.
