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Incessant rainfall boosts hopes of paddy farmers in Prakasam
The incessant rains in last two days gave a new lease of life to both distressed farmers and parched lands in the district. Farmers are hopeful that the heavy downpour would have district tanks brimming with water for the next season.
Ongole: The incessant rains in last two days gave a new lease of life to both distressed farmers and parched lands in the district. Farmers are hopeful that the heavy downpour would have district tanks brimming with water for the next season.
Reeling under severe drought conditions in rabi season, several farmers had refrained from sowing and contributed to the steep decrease in the sown-area. According to estimates, the average cropping area in the district is 3.35 lakh hectares. Fearing losses, about 85 per cent of farmers did not dare to sow.
But the cyclonic effect has brought about a turnaround in the situation as the district has received bountiful rainfall on Monday and Tuesday. Kandukur mandal has received highest rainfall in the district with 150 mm. Lingasamudram and VV Palem recorded about 135mm rainfall; Pamur 120mm; Ponnalur and PC Palli 115mm; Ulavapadu and CS Puram 110mm; Singarayakonda 105mm; Zarugumilli, Kothapatnam and Gudlur about 100mm. In last two days alone, these mandals have received more than 50 per cent of the total rainfall recorded in the last one month.
With the good inflows, lower Upputeru in Kandukur and Singarayakonda, Pandivagu in Valetivari Palem are now distributing water to the dependent lands. The water-level in Chagallu tank has reached up to brim and in Rallapadu reservoir the water-level has touched 13 feet. As per officials, the reservoir has received 2,300 cusecs of water inflow in last two days. Ponnalur, Gudluru tanks are also receiving good inflows. Elated over the situation, a paddy farmer from Kandukur Subramanyam said: “The rain gods have finally heard our prayers even though the government has failed to understand our problem. We hope this good rainfall will continue for another two days.”
With the government failing to assure farmers of water from Nagarjuna Sagar coupled with severe drought conditions, the cropping area in the district had come down substantially in rabi season. Against the season normal of 75,065 hectares of paddy crop, the sowing area had reduced to 2150 hectares. Similarly, against 11055 hectares of sorghum the sown area stood 3,000 hectares, and corn 129 ha(15494ha); chick pea 895 ha(8008 ha). Worse, chilli, ground nut, sun flower, castor oil, cotton, turmeric put together the cropping area has touched even 35000 ha.
