NALGONDA: Farmers in Nalgonda district are feeding dried crops to cattle as fodder as a result of adverse weather conditions that have led to crop failure. The state government had announced crop holidays due to a water scarcity in the Nagarjuna Sagar project. However, some farmers had continued to plant paddy, hoping for rain. With no significant rainfall, they resorted to borewells for irrigation. Unfortunately, even after drilling new borewells, agricultural lands remain dry.
“I cultivated paddy on three acres and had drilled three borewells, but the crop dried up due to lack of water,” said P Saidulu from Erragudem village. He attributed declining groundwater levels to the misuse of water in borewells during the previous government’s 24-hour free power scheme.
K Upender Reddy of Munugode mandal reported having a palm oil plantation on three acres. Despite drilling 13 new borewells, no water was found.
Banda Srisailam, president of the Nalgonda District Farmers Association, informed TNIE that out of 280,000 acres in Nalgonda district, paddy was cultivated in 180,000 acres this season. He said that 50 percent of the paddy crop has dried up due to the ongoing drought. He said that the association had demanded a government survey of damaged crops and compensation of `25,000 per acre.