Mahabubnagar: Rains bring respite to famers, sowing begins

Mahabubnagar: Heavy rains across Palamuru region during the past two days have brought the much needed respite to the famers across the erstwhile Mahabubnagar district.

With incessant rains over the past two days, many dams, reservoirs, lakes and ponds are brimming with water and particularly the paddy farmers have already started preparations for transplanting the paddy samplings across the district.

In fact, the rainy season this year had started late, until last 10 days there were no rains at all in some parts of the district and other parts had received rains less than normal. However with the recent low pressure in the Bay of Bengal Sea it had trigged the dormant monsoon into becoming active and causing heavy rains across the Palamuru region.

According to metrological department data, until July 21, usually a normal of 162.26 millimeters of rainfall is was expected as normal rain in the erstwhile Mahabubnagar district however as against this a huge rainfall of 298.8 millimeters has been recorded due to which many rivulets, lakes and ponds are over flowing giving happy moments to the farmers and encouraging them to expand their agriculture cultivation.

Mahabubnagar district Agriculture officer Y. Sucharitha observed that this season overall an extent of 18.43 lakh acres of land will be covered under cultivation. However, as against this, until last 10 days only about 5.88 lakh acres of agriculture land had been cultivated, of this 80 per cent of land is covered with Cotton and Red gram.

"This year though the rainy season started late in June, but the actual activity had begun only in july and farming activity is in full swing thanks to good rains. I have sown cotton over 2 acres of land and maize over one acre and paddy over 2 acres," said Ramchander a farmer from Shankarayapally village, while expressing happiness over the pouring rains.

Now, with the recent heavy down pour of the rains across the Palamuru region, the farmers have intensified their activity and as many as 10.02 lakh acres of agriculture land has come under cultivation in just two days. "The copious rains have intensified the farming activity in the district. The paddy farmers particularly are preparing their lands for transplanting the paddy saplings.

This rainy seasons an extent of 3.32 lakh acres of paddy, 11154 acres of Jowar, 60973 acres of maize and 3.11 lakh acres of Red gram and another 6.90 acres of cotton are expected to come under cultivation," informed the district agriculture officer.