Farmers Told To Avoid Paddy Cultivation During Yasangi
District collector Ila Tripathi called for extensive awareness campaigns at the village level: Reports
NIZAMABAD: The district administration has directed officials to implement a comprehensive action plan to tackle the impact of El Nino, with a focus on ensuring uninterrupted drinking water and electricity supplies in the coming months.
District collector Ila Tripathi called for extensive awareness campaigns at the village level to discourage farmers from cultivating paddy during the Yasangi season and encourage them to opt for alternative crops.
During a review meeting she held on Thursday with officials at the integrated district offices complex, the collector stressed the need to assess potential challenges in advance and prepare contingency plans. She urged farmers to consider alternatives such as maize, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables and oil palm, depending on water availability.
Tripathi said the stored water in reservoirs must be used judiciously, as adequate supplies could not be guaranteed for paddy cultivation during Yasangi. Agriculture and horticulture officials were instructed to organise village-level meetings to explain groundwater conditions, available water resources and the risks of cultivating paddy without assured irrigation.
The collector directed officials to prepare comprehensive village-wise plans for the next eight to 10 months, covering drinking water requirements, irrigation availability, groundwater levels, electricity consumption, alternative cropping patterns and water conservation measures.
With electricity demand expected to rise, she called for advance preparations to prevent disruptions. Available water resources should be reserved primarily for drinking purposes, and officials must ensure that no village faces a drinking water shortage until the next monsoon.
She also asked officials to undertake urgent repairs to drinking water pipelines, lay new pipelines wherever necessary and arrange agricultural borewells on a rental basis to meet drinking water needs.
Additional collectors Raja Goud and V. Bhujangarao, RDOs Rajendra Kumar and Vijaya Kumari, and officials from various departments attended the meeting.