Acute drought prevailing across the district appears to have little impact on this agriculturally rich and model village which is hogging the limelight as the Seed Bowl of Telangana.
Drought conditions have little bearing on normal life here, even as crop failure and migration of agricultural labour have been reported in neighbouring villages, adversely impacting their economy.
The village is better off compared to others as far as drinking water supply is concerned. The pipeline from Gutpa lift scheme on the right bank of the Godavari, laid last year, is taking care of drinking water needs. That apart, farmers here do not feel any negative impact on fodder for cattle as it has very little livestock.
“Ankapur has a population of over 6,000 people. For several decades now we do not rear cattle more than the requirement. Consequently, our milch animal population is less. We know the importance of water and therefore use minimum amount of water to get maximum quantity of crops. Since we raise only irrigated dry crops including turmeric, jowar, maize, bajra and vegetables, whatever fodder we get is enough for our animals”, explains Tota Gangaram, a former government employee, and an active member of the Village Development Committee.
There is absolutely no problem of migration of workers and sending cattle to slaughter houses, phenomena that are common during drought.
Almost every farmer has taken to micro irrigation using drip system besides constructing huge concrete farm ponds to store water, lifted through pumps.
The same water is used to water the crops and also quench the thirst of cattle. The National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme has come as a boon, specially to small and marginal farmers who also go to work in the lean summer season. “Those who have water have raised turmeric crop in 40 per cent of their land and those who don’t have planted vegetables, but 80 per cent of the land remained fallow”, deplores, K.K. Bajana, secretary of the local farmers’ association.
This village in Armoor mandal, situated 20 km away from the district headquarters, on Nizamabad-Armoor road boasts of three commercial bank branches, 300 tractors and an equal number of cars.
It also has the credit of being a village sans huts at all, so much so, driving through the main road, one almost feels he/she is entering a big town.
Almost every farmer in Ankapur village has taken to micro-irrigation using drip system
