The prolonged dry spell over both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana from the last week of June to the first week of August, the period crucial for agricultural activity, has resulted in drought conditions and affected the agricultural output in both states, according to P.V. Rama Rao, a retired Director in the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
He has made an analysis of the ‘Performance of the Southwest Monsoon over Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in the year 2015’ by taking the rainfall data from the IMD websites.
The failure of the South West monsoon rains resulted in a dry spell with large rainfall deficit (-60 to -90 per cent) during the crucial season and caused ‘agricultural drought’ in both states.
The cause
The failure of monsoon rains over south peninsular India and over Maharashtra may be attributed to weak and inactive Arabian Sea current due to the absence of the synoptic feature of the off-shore trough along and off the west coast during July and August months.
Scanty rain in Maharashtra and Karnataka caused restricted inflows into the upstream catchment areas of the Godavari and the Krishna. The restricted inflow of surface water resulted in below average water levels in lakes, reservoirs and rivers and contributed to the ‘hydrological drought’ in the Godavari and Krishna Rivers during July and August.
Scanty rain with large rainfall deficit over AP and Telangana during the crucial period hampered the agricultural activity, resulting in reduced cropping area and also affected the area already sown and transplanted crop area.
Suicides
An extent of 25 lakh acres of land was not cultivated during the kharif season. In Rayalaseema groundnut was cultivated in 16 lakh acres only as against 26 lakh acres, Dr. Rama Rao has noted quoting figures of the AP Agriculture Department. Owning to financial stress, some debt-ridden farmers committed suicides in AP.
Agriculture in Telangana is mostly dependent on groundwater. Failure of monsoon rains caused significant drop in groundwater levels leading to failure of borewells. Occurrence of drought in two consecutive years led to a large number of debt-ridden farmers committing suicide in Telangana.
The uneven distribution of rainfall during the southwest monsoon is not uncommon. These natural calamities could have been averted had there been adequate number of minor and major irrigation projects and facilities for rainwater harvesting and conservation. He has felt that the Mission Kakatiya of the Telangana Government and Pattiseema Project of the AP Government for interlinking of the Godavari and the Krishna were a step in the right direction.
Scanty rain in Maharashtra and Karnataka has caused restricted inflows into the upstream catchment areas of the Godavari and the Krishna
P.V. Rama Rao
Retired IMD director
