El Nino: Ensure All Crops Are Insured, CM Tells Officials
He suggested that the officials should give suggestions to the farmers on the weather conditions, crop study, taking the help of the agriculture universities students. He also suggested that the staff of the Rythu Seva Kendras should be appointed as conveners of action plan committees to work with the farmers in tandem
Amaravati: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu directed the collectors to ensure that all the crops sown get insurance coverage. There are indications that the El Nino effect could persist throughout the year, he said.
He asked the ministers and their supporting staff to constantly visit the fields. He suggested that an El Nino Control room should be set up to monitor the effect. The officials should ensure drinking water problems and fodder problems do not emerge from any place. Fodder necessary for the entire year should be kept in stock. Reports regarding the stocks should be submitted every week, he ordered.
On Tuesday, the CM held a review meeting on the El Nino effect, precautionary measures to be taken by the government, awareness programmes scheduled for the farmers.
He suggested that the officials should give suggestions to the farmers on the weather conditions, crop study, taking the help of the agriculture universities students. He also suggested that the staff of the Rythu Seva Kendras should be appointed as conveners of action plan committees to work with the farmers in tandem.
Vamsadhara waters should be used to save the crops. In high-risk mandals, bore water can be used to save crops from drying up. He asked the officials to alert the farmers about the El Nino effect and its intensity beforehand.
Your suggestions should be based on the analysis of weather reports. Identify the land parcels where trouble could crop up, basing on the groundwater-levels. He directed the officials to see that the prices of vegetables and essentials do no escalate due to El Nino effect. There should be no shortage of fodder and milk production, he said.
The officials informed the CM that the El Nino effect in all districts could be more than estimated. Over 122 high-risk mandals were identified. Shortage of rain would be felt in Annamayya, West Godavari, Prakasam, Krishna and Kadapa districts. The El Nino effect can affect cotton being grown in 2.78 lakh hectares and paddy in 1.07 lakh hectares in these districts, the officials told him.
On fodder, they told Naidu that 286.30 lakh tonnes of it is available and would suffice the requirement for 5 months. They also informed him about the rainfall recorded in July and shortage of rain that is likely in June-November. Farmers can apply for insurance of their crops till July 31.
