Telangana: Urea shortage forces school children into queues in Nalgonda and Suryapet

Farmers in Nalgonda and Suryapet are facing a severe urea shortage, with even students forced to stand in queues. With only a fraction of fertiliser supplied against demand, protests have erupted as crops and livelihoods are put at risk

Nalgonda: As the Kharif sowing season enters its crucial final week in August, farmers in Nalgonda and Suryapet districts are growing anxious due to a severe shortage of urea. The scarcity has reached such an extent that even schoolchildren are being made to stand in long queues at fertiliser distribution centres, sacrificing their studies to help their families.

A ninth-class student, Payali Mithilesh, drew attention from farmers and officials when he joined the queue for urea on Monday. Wearing his school uniform, he was seen at 6 am requesting others to allow him to reach the official at the Nalgonda District Marketing Society outlet on Miryalaguda road, as he could not afford to miss school.

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Mithilesh’s parents, unable to secure urea despite a week-long wait, sent him to fetch two bags before heading to school. Burdened with farm work, they relied on their son, who broke down in tears after failing to obtain fertiliser that was once readily available to farmers.

Despite waiting for hours, the stock ran out before his turn, forcing him to return empty-handed.

“I called my parents and told them I couldn’t get the urea. Now I’m heading to school late,” Mithilesh said.

The situation in Suryapet district is equally grim. Farmers in Ananthagiri mandal have been resorting to desperate measures, with some placing their footwear in queues as early as 5 am to reserve their place at Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society (PACS) centres.

The shortage has disrupted the Kharif season, particularly for paddy and maize crops, which require timely fertiliser application. With sowing completed and the second round of urea due for maize, the lack of supply has left farmers in deep distress.

“We’ve been running from one shop to another for a week, but there’s no urea. The government’s rule of giving just one bag per farmer is unfair,” said a farmer exhausted from waiting.

Farmers in both districts are spending hours in queues, neglecting other work in the hope of getting at least one bag. In Suryapet, only 2,300 metric tonnes have been supplied against a demand of 22,000 metric tonnes for August. In Nalgonda, just 45,500 metric tonnes have been delivered against the requirement of 70,000 metric tonnes by September.

Anger is rising among local farmers over restrictions that allow only one or two bags per farmer, regardless of the size of their land.

“How can one bag be enough for large farms? Are we supposed to abandon our crops?” asked a farmer in Suryapet.

The shortage has also triggered protests, with farmers accusing the government of mismanagement and demanding immediate steps to ensure adequate supplies.