Prolonged dry spell triggers anxiety among farmers in Adilabad, Karimnagar, Nizamabad

A prolonged dry spell across northern Telangana has raised concerns among farmers growing paddy, cotton and other crops. Rainfall deficits in several districts have heightened fears of crop failure and losses as the monsoon enters its final phase

Adilabad: A prolonged dry spell has triggered anxiety among farmers across the erstwhile Adilabad, Karimnagar and Nizamabad districts during the ongoing Vanakalam season.

Despite advisories by the State government against the cultivation of wet crops due to El Niño conditions, farmers have raised paddy, cotton, maize, pigeon pea and soybean. Officials said the area under paddy cultivation was 2.5 lakh acres in Adilabad, Mancherial, Nirmal and Kumram Bheem Asifabad districts, while commercial crop cotton was raised on 12 lakh acres in the four districts.

---

The farmers had hoped for rains between late August and mid-September, considered the final phase of the monsoon, to help the crops grow and enable them to register profits from farming. However, the continuing dry spell has left them worried about possible crop failure. They said they would suffer losses from raising the crops if the dry spell did not end.

According to the weather report on the website of the Telangana Development Planning Society, Adilabad district recorded 597 mm of actual rainfall against the normal rainfall of 899 mm, registering a deficit of 34 per cent. Except for Thalamadugu, 20 mandals recorded scanty rainfall ranging between 20 per cent and 49 per cent.

Similarly, Nirmal district received 649 mm of rainfall against the normal rainfall of 801 mm, reflecting a deficit of 18 per cent from June 1 to September 9. Ten of the 19 mandals were reeling under deficient rainfall ranging from 21 per cent to 42 per cent. Kumram Bheem Asifabad and Mancherial recorded a rainfall deficit of 8 per cent each.

“I was forced to re-sow the paddy saplings twice after the first batch withered due to scanty rainfall. Now I fear the crop may fail altogether, causing losses. I managed to raise the crop despite challenges in purchasing urea and a shortage of seeds,” K Ravi from Bheemini said.

Meanwhile, Karimnagar district recorded 482 mm of rainfall against the normal rainfall of 618 mm, showing a deficit of 22 per cent. Similarly, Nizamabad’s rainfall deficit was gauged at 14 per cent. The rainfall deficits in Jagtial and Peddapalli districts were measured at 11 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively.