Notwithstanding the convenience provided to farmers to run their pump-sets to irrigate crops as and when they like, the introduction of uninterrupted power supply to farm sector from January 2018 has not only pushed up energy consumption considerably in the State but has also impacted the groundwater table.
Although the status of groundwater table largely hinges on the rainfall recorded in a monsoon period apart from its exploitation, the cultivation of high water-intensity crops would have a definite and adverse impact on the scarce natural resource. As the statistics of groundwater department explain, it would be high particularly during the peak yasangi (rabi) crops period of January-March.
According to official records, the consumption of energy in March compared to January has increased about three-fold this year (2019) compared to 2016, more than double compared to 2017 and over 26% compared to last year.
Similarly, the groundwater table has depleted by over 2.25 meters during December-March period in 2018-19, in spite of cultivation of yasangi crops in lesser extent including the water-intensive paddy compared to the two previous years.
“Depletion of groundwater table was recorded at over 2.75 meters during the December-March period of 2017-18, the first yasangi season of 24×7 power supply to agriculture, when there was good monsoon rainfall and better availability of water in irrigation sources of all sizes. It was highest depletion of groundwater table in the recent years”, a senior official of the Agriculture Department not willing to be quoted said.
Accordingly, the yasangi cultivation was also high in 2017-18 when crops were sown in more than normal extent in 23 districts. The increase in extent of cultivation was more than 50% of the normal in eight district including 150% in Nirmal where crops were cultivated in 66,790 hectares against the normal of 26,703 hectares.
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In 2016-17 when the State saw the cultivation of yasangi crops in the highest extent in the last few decades at 15.36 lakh hectares, which included paddy in 8.66 lakh hectares, the highest ever for the season.
It was possible as there were good rains and the depletion of groundwater table was recorded at nearly 2.5 meters in the December-March period although there was only nine-hour power supply to agriculture.
In the ongoing yasangi season too, cultivation of crops has been more than 100% of the normal extent in nine districts including 68% higher in Mancherial district utilising both surface and groundwater.
The cultivation is nearly 100% of the normal extent in another seven districts, sources said.
