El Niño Effect Felt in Konaseema, Sowing Delayed Due to Dry Weather, Lack of Water
According to the farmers, unless the transplanting is completed before the month-end or August first week, they would have difficulty going for the rabi crops.
Kakinada:The impact of El Nino affecting the nation is being felt in Konaseema, with dry-spells in the district causing distress to farmers.
Though July began a week ago, sowing has not taken place in 40 per cent of the nurseries. Already sown nurseries are getting dry due to lack of water. Though the Godavari waters were released to the canals, this is not reaching the branch canals from main canals.
According to the farmers, unless the transplanting is completed before the month-end or August first week, they would have difficulty going for the rabi crops. There is scope to cultivate 1,13,051 acres of command area but 40 per cent of the nurseries are yet to have sowing done.
The farmers are getting ready to go for nurseries in Mummidivaram, Katrenikona, Uppalaguptam and other seashore areas. They are waiting for the water.
The transplants are being done at Alamuru, Ramachandrapuram, K Gangavaram, Atreyapuram Ravulapalem and some parts of Gannavaram. Even in Ambajipeta and Amalapuram mandals, farmers are waiting for water.
Adding to the problem, the NH works have turned a hurdle to agricultural operations. Farmers said though the water has been released to canals from Godavari on May 31, this has not reached the branch canals.
There is insufficient rainfall this season. In June, the rains fell for only four days and this meant a 50 per cent deficient rainfall. In July, expectations were for 285mm of rainfall by the month-end, but so far it was 15mm.
State convener of the Bharatiya Agro Economics and Research T Gopalakrishna said 30,000 acres of paddyfields have not raised their nurseries between Amalapuram and Benda canals.
Another problem is that while the national highway authority has started erecting a protection wall between Mukkamala and Nadipudi, the soil is dumped into canals. As a result, the flow was affected and water stagnated.
Ironically, they started the work exactly on the water release day on May 31.
Gopalakrishna said agriculture officials supplied paddy seeds with a duration of 160 to 165 days and this would be ready for harvest by December, but it would be difficult for farmers to go for rabi crops this year.
He said the El Nino effect has begun being felt in the district and officials' apathy has contributed to the damage for the paddy crop this season. He pleaded with the government to care for the Konaseema district and help the farmers save the paddy crop.
Irrigation officials said that 10,000 cusecs of water was released to canals on Tuesday.
