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Andhra Pradesh Prepares for El Nino Water Crisis
Andhra Pradesh is preparing for a possible worsening El Nino weather crisis.
El Nino can affect rainfall and make water harder to find.
The state has received much less rain than usual this year.
The chief minister told officials to protect drinking water for people and animals first.
Farmers are being encouraged to grow crops that need less water, such as pulses, onions and millets.
Officials will also work to provide fodder and protect important crops.
New paddy planting will be restricted outside the Godavari Delta.
The government plans to fill tanks, recharge groundwater and move water to areas facing shortages.
The chief minister said he will review the situation every week.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu ordered officials to prepare for worsening El Nino impacts and prevent drinking water, fodder and crop shortages.
Andhra Pradesh received 206.7 mm of rain between June 1 and September 7, compared with a normal 457.9 mm.
Officials were told to prioritize drinking water for people and livestock, fodder and life-saving irrigation for perennial horticultural crops.
The government will promote less water-intensive crops, multi-cropping, micro-irrigation, crop insurance awareness and activated Rythu Bazaars.
Naidu set a two-and-a-half-year target to complete 36 irrigation projects covering 17 lakh new acres and stabilizing 33.4 lakh acres.
- Who
- Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, state ministers, collectors and other officials.
- What
- The government is preparing for worsening El Nino impacts, including rainfall deficits, water shortages, crop risks and possible price increases.
- Where
- Andhra Pradesh, including the Godavari Delta, Krishna Delta and other water-deficit areas.
- When
- The directions were issued at the first day of the Collectors’ Conference on Thursday; officials said El Nino’s impact could intensify by February 2027.
- Why
- Rainfall and reservoir storage are below previous and normal levels, creating risks to drinking water, livestock, agriculture and essential commodity prices.
Key facts
- Rainfall
- Andhra Pradesh received 206.7 mm from June 1 to September 7, against a normal 457.9 mm, a 54.9% deficit.
- Reservoir storage
- Storage stood at 638 TMC, or 49%, compared with 1,023 TMC during the same period last year.
- Kharif cultivation
- Kharif cultivation covered 22.82 lakh hectares, or 74% of normal.
- Irrigation projects
- Thirty-six priority projects are targeted for completion within two and a half years.
- Planned irrigation gains
- The projects are intended to create 17 lakh acres of new command area and stabilize 33.4 lakh acres.
- Pattiseema diversion
- Pattiseema has diverted 39.5 TMC of Godavari water to the Krishna Delta.
- Additional seed funding
- The state sanctioned an additional Rs 90 crore for seed contingency.
- Crop insurance
- Crop insurance coverage expanded to 16.92 lakh hectares.
Sources
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