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Rural distress worsens -Telangana declared Drought-hit mandals
Highlights
Telangana is the ninth state to declared drought. It declared 231 mandals in the state as drought affected, adding to the agrarian crisis and posing threat to the rural economy and sought Rs.1,000 crore as immediate relief from the Centre.
Telangana is the ninth state to declared drought. It declared 231 mandals in the state as drought affected, adding to the agrarian crisis and posing threat to the rural economy and sought Rs.1,000 crore as immediate relief from the Centre.
It also asked the Centre to send its team to study the actual loss occured due to drought in the State.
This is the first time that drought-affected mandals are declared after formation of Telangana. Below average precipitation, resulting prolonged shortages in its water supply, whether atmospheric, surface or ground water are the main reasons for declaration of the drought in the State.
The decision to declare 231 mandals -- one third of the total mandals -- as drought affected was taken on the basis of rainfall received during south-west monsoon, the state recorded an average rainfall of 610.8mm, as against the normal rainfall of 713.6 mm, with a deficit of 14 percent. Several mandals spread over 7 districts have received deficit rainfall along with severe dry spells have caused withering and drying up of crops that is likely to result in yield reduction of several major rainfed crops.
The drought hit mandals include all 64 mandals of Mahabubnagar, 46 mandals of Medak, through the rainfall was normal in three mandals –Ramayampet, Jagdevpur and Wargal and 36 mandals of Nizamabad. Similarly, 33 out of 37 mandals in Ranga Reddy, 19 out of 57 mandals in Karimnagar, 22 out of 59 mandals in Nalgonda and 11 out of 51 mandals of Warangal district have been declared drought hit.
The spectre of ongoing drought is fueling distress migration from districts in Telangana, have led to crop failure, mounting debts, chronic unemployment and poor implementation of NREGA scheme in Mahbubnagar, Medak and Adilabad forcing large-scale exodus of farmers and others.
People are migrating due to lack of adequate agricultural land, inadequate agricultural production, less irrigation facility, and acute water scarcity. It is well-established that when economic, social and environmental compulsions push farmers into the ranks of landless labourers, a process called despeasantization; it leads to further economic hardships and eventually migration and in extreme cases cause suicides.
The total crop sown area is 35.13 lakh hectares in TS, which is equivalent to 85 per cent of the normal area of 41.22 lakh hectares. While 26.03 lakh hectares sown are under rain-fed conditions, the remaining 9.10 lakh hectares are under irrigated conditions. The districts of Adilabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Warangal, Nizambad, Ranga Reddy and Mahbubnagar are showing negative deviation of 25 percent, where as Medak is showing a negative deviation of 25 percent to 50 percent in area sown.
According to statistics, agricultural production in the state is likely to come down by 25 per cent on account of adverse seasonal conditions. The average was 36 per cent of the normal area for paddy, 65 per cent for pulses, 50 per cent for dry crops and 36 per cent for oilseeds.
The total dry crops coverage in the State stood at 21 lakh hectares as against a normal area of 53 lakh hectares. The corresponding figure of dry crops for was 37 lakh hectares, which means that an extent 16 lakh hectares was not covered. Most of the dry crops are grown in Telangana Minor irrigation sources such as tanks and wells have dried up due to scanty rainfall and there has been no transplantation of paddy in areas irrigated by minor irrigation sources that which are mostly in Telangana.
It is pertinent to mention that after the announcement of drought-hit mandals would lead to the rescheduling of loans and interest payment besides the farmers of these mandals would be able to seek fresh loans for Rabi season that commenced on October 1.
G.Rajendera Kumar
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