Rain Deficit and El Nino: Telangana Farmers Urged to Reduce Paddy, Opt for Water-Saving Crops
The ongoing El Nino effect has led to below-normal rainfall across Telangana, prompting Professor Jayashankar State Agricultural University Vice-Chancellor Aldas Janaiah to advise farmers to cut down paddy cultivation and opt for water-saving crops such as pulses, oilseeds and millets. The recommendation comes at a time when the state's reservoirs are under stress and groundwater levels are depleting.
Speaking at a farmers' seminar organised by Rythu Sangham in Nalgonda on Sunday, Mr. Janaiah cautioned farmers against taking up fresh paddy transplantation based on expectations of water from the Nagarjuna Sagar and SRSP reservoirs. He noted that the state has recorded a rainfall deficit of around 10 to 12 per cent, with the shortfall touching nearly 30 per cent in eight districts.
The Vice-Chancellor, however, urged farmers not to panic over the deficit, but to treat it as an opportunity to diversify their cropping patterns. For example, a farmer growing paddy on four acres may consider cultivating at least two acres with pulses, oilseeds or other dryland crops, he suggested.
Mr. Janaiah said paddy requires substantial quantities of water and chemical fertilisers, while excessive dependence on borewells has contributed to groundwater depletion. With reservoir levels falling, he warned that water availability could become even more uncertain in the coming months. The Nagarjuna Sagar and SRSP projects are critical sources of irrigation for the region, and their falling levels have heightened concerns among farmers and officials.
For farmers who have already raised paddy nurseries, he advised a careful assessment of local water availability before transplanting. He cautioned that paddy cultivation entirely dependent on Nagarjuna Sagar water carries a significant risk of crop failure. According to him, current weather conditions could persist until September, and any substantial rainfall later in the season may be more beneficial for a second crop or early Yasangi cultivation than for the present Vanakalam paddy crop.
Farmers' leaders present at the seminar called for greater government support, crop diversification and measures to ensure remunerative prices for agricultural produce. They stressed that coordinated action by the government, the Agriculture Department, irrigation authorities and agricultural institutions is essential to help farmers cope with changing weather conditions.
The seminar was attended by agricultural scientist and vice-president of Telangana Rythu Sangham Aribandi Prasad Rao, All India Kisan Sabha central committee member Julakanti Ranga Reddy, former legislator Nandyala Narasimha Reddy, and Communist Party of India (Marxists) leaders Bonthala Chandra Reddy, Mudireddy Sudhakar Reddy and Veerapalli Venkateswarlu, among others.
El Nino, a climate pattern associated with warming of the Pacific Ocean, is known to weaken the Indian monsoon. The current rainfall deficit underscores the need for farmers in Telangana to adopt climate-resilient and water-efficient agricultural practices, experts believe. As climate variability increasingly affects crop yields, diversifying crops is essential for the long-term viability of farming in the region.
