NELLORE: Though officials have appealed to farmers not to cultivate paddy this Kharif season, they are going ahead with it using water from borewells. Farmers have taken up paddy cultivation in about 25,000 acres in Kovur, Kodavaluru, Vidavalur and other mandals during the season.
Paddy crop in about 5,000 acres has dried up due to non-availability of water in the same season last year. Paddy consumes more water when compared to other crops. Normally, farmers cultivate crops in the second crop (late Kharif) from June 15 to July 15 every year in the district. Farmers especially in Kovur, Vidavalur, Kodavalur, Alaganipadu, Utukur and also in Mudivarthi mandals have started raising paddy under borewells.
It may be recalled that farmers across the district have cultivated the crop was grown in about 36,000 hectares as against 71,699 hectares in the Kharif season in 2018. Majority of the farmers in upland mandals have incurred losses due to non-availability of water to crops in the last year. The district received only 473.40 mm out of normal of 1023.90 mm with a deficit of 53.80 per cent rainfall this year.
The situation would be tough due to the conditions prevailing in the district. Now, water storage level in Somasila reservoir is 3.215 tmc. “Paddy consumes more water than other crops. There is no adequate water to cultivate the crop this season. Farmers should cultivate short duration crops for now,” said an official of the Agriculture department.