Vizianagaram: Agricultural activities have been slow to start in most mandals of the Vizianagaram district due to deficient rainfall over the past two weeks. Typically, sowing gets nearly complete in the district by the first week of August. However, the recent rainfall shortage has hampered progress, and the sowing of sugarcane and other crops is yet to gain full momentum, reports The Hindu.
According to officials, the district received only 19.4 mm of rainfall until August 11, significantly lower than the average of 61.9 mm. The situation was favorable in July, with the district recording 312 mm of rainfall compared to the average of 171 mm. The current scenario mirrors that of June, which saw a substantial rainfall deficit of 59 mm compared to the average of 124 mm.
Traditionally, paddy is cultivated across 90,255 hectares, but this time it has been limited to only 21,871 hectares. Similarly, maize is being grown on just 6,975 hectares instead of the usual 15,268 hectares. The cultivation of cotton, sugarcane, and other crops has also witnessed a sharp decline this year.
Kimidi Nagarjuna, the Vizianagaram district president of the TDP, pointed out that proper development of canals and distribution networks to provide water from the Nagavali River through the Thotapalli project could have normalized the agricultural situation in areas like Cheepurupalli, Gajapathingaram, Bobbili, and others.
“Farmers are enduring immense hardships due to the lack of assured irrigation. This predicament has caused many to abandon agriculture, which could ultimately lead to a ripple effect on the public, resulting in soaring commodity prices. The recent example of tomatoes reaching ₹100 per kg highlights this issue. The government must prioritize irrigation to restore confidence among farmers,” emphasized Mr. Nagarjuna.
