MULUGU/MAHBUBABAD: The impact of a deficient monsoon is being felt across Mahbubabad district, with crop cultivation shrinking from 15 lakh acres to 13 lakh acres and around 268 villages facing water shortages.
The water crisis is particularly acute in the upland areas of Mahbubabad and Dornakal Assembly constituencies, while the Godavari basin and forested areas of Mulugu continue to have relatively better water availability.
Officials said lakes and streams in areas including Eturunagaram, Govindaraipet, Pasara, Wazeedu, Mangapeta, Kannaigudem and Venkatapur have adequate water. Pakhal and Ramappa lakes also have sufficient water to support two crops in parts of Mulugu and Narsampet.
Farmers in the upland areas, however, depend heavily on borewells and electricity to irrigate their fields. Against the scheduled 12 hours of three-phase power supply, they are receiving around seven hours, while some farmers said they get only four hours. Power fluctuations are further affecting water pumping.
Official sources said about 268 villages in Mahbubabad were facing water shortages. Of the 6,284 lakes in the rural areas of the erstwhile Warangal district, including Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Mulugu, Jangaon and Mahbubabad, around 30% had water, while the remaining 70% had depleted water levels. The decline in lake levels has also affected groundwater availability.
Paddy and cotton, the main monsoon crops, require regular water. Bayyaram lake, which supports cultivation across about 15,000 acres, has seen water levels fall, leaving standing crops to wither. Farmers have appealed to authorities to supply water through canals or tankers to save the crops. Akeru Lake, which has supported agriculture since the Kakatiya era, is also facing depleted water levels. Farmers said borewells in the surrounding areas were not providing enough water.
J Balaji, a farmer from Dakna tanda in Maripeda mandal, said inadequate borewell water and erratic power supply had made it difficult to save standing crops. He said farmers were facing losses running into lakhs and appealed to the state government for compensation.
District Agricultural Officer S Vijay Chandra told TNIE that cultivation had declined compared with last year. He said rainfall was around 20% below normal during the monsoon, leaving farmers in Mahabubabad, Dornakal and surrounding villages dependent on groundwater. The department had advised farmers to consider alternative crops such as oilseeds, pulses and vegetables, he said.