From parched to lush green; Nagarkurnool’s amazing transformation

The availability of water has had its impact on the farmers, the foremost being that paddy cultivation has increased at least by four times in the present Yasangi season as against last year.

Nagarkurnool: The transformation of Nagarkurnool has to be seen to be believed. Once among the drought-prone regions in the State, with several areas reeling under severe droughts every year, things are now shining green for this district.

Water, once a rare commodity for farmers and the general public, is now available in abundance, with all irrigation projects in the region, from Kollapur, Nagarkurnool, Kalwakurthy and Jadcherla to Achampeta, being filled with water throughout the year, thanks to the Kalwakurthy Lift Irrigation Project in the district.

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The availability of water has had its impact on the farmers, the foremost being that paddy cultivation has increased at least by four times in the present Yasangi season as against last year. It has been reported that paddy cultivation has been taken up on five lakh acres in the district. According to officials, it is the availability of adequate irrigation water that prompted farmers to go for more acreage this year.

According to agriculture officials, farmers have taken up paddy cultivation on 4.77 lakh acres throughout the erstwhile Mahabubnagar district, as against 98,826 acres last year. In Nagarkurnool district, paddy cultivation was taken up on 1,06,477 acres as against 12,800 acres last year. In Vanaparthi district, paddy cultivation was taken up in 1.26 lakh acres when compared to only 12,000 acres last year.

In Narayanpet district, paddy cultivation was taken up in 97,000 acres, compared to 17,000 acres last year. In Mahabubnagar district, paddy was sowed on 94,000 acres this year. In Jogulamba Gadwal district, paddy cultivation was taken up on 53,000 acres in this crop season, as per information available from agriculture officials.

The difference is visible in a video tweeted by Mallikarjun Vishwanatham, who hails from Kollapur. Terming the transformation ‘unbelievable’, he said seeing paddy crops in April was something people of the district had ‘never dared to dream’, and appreciated the State government for coming up with Mission Kakatiya, which was instrumental in the transformation.

Unbelievable. ఇదొక నమ్మలేని నిజం. This is from my village in Telangana. Paddy crops in April, something we never dared to dream. This is possible only with @BRSparty govt. Agriculture at its best. Telangana people must be grateful to #KCR. @KTRBRS @TelanganaCMO pic.twitter.com/gasLtt8POO

— Mallikarjun Vishwanatham (@mallikonline) April 7, 2023

“Agriculture at its best,” he said, tweeting videos of water tanks, which were full to the brim, and recalling that these were dry lands earlier where children used to play cricket.
Tagging Vishwanatham’s video, noted artiste and playback singer Anuj Gurwara also tweeted, pointing out that people who lived in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh remember barren lands for hours outside Hyderabad while traveling. The landscape has changed dramatically since the BRS came to power.

“Hyd upgraded, yes. But Telangana‘s agri revolution has been stupendous!” (sic) Gurwara said.

Folks who lived in the erstwhile unified AP remember barren lands for hours outside #Hyderabad until we reached more native Andhra territory or K'taka/TN.

Landscape has changed dramatically since @BRSparty. Hyd upgraded, yes. But #Telangana's agri revolution has been stupendous! https://t.co/eDygmxU7Jk

— Anuj Gurwara (@AnujGurwara) April 7, 2023