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Andhra Pradesh Orders War-Footing Measures As El Nino Threatens Crops

Andhra Pradesh has received much less rain than usual because of dry conditions linked to El Nino.

This has made it difficult for many crops to get enough water.

The agriculture minister told officials to work urgently to protect the crops.

They were asked to use every available water source for limited irrigation.

Crop problems have been reported across many mandals and village areas.

Red gram and cotton are among the crops with the largest affected areas.

Officials are also encouraging farmers to grow crops that need less water.

Farmers in some irrigation areas were advised to choose dryland crops instead of paddy.

Key facts

Rainfall: 218.2mm received between June 1 and September 12, against a normal 476.1mm.
Rainfall deficit: 54.2% below normal.
Kharif cultivation: 26.50 lakh hectares, equal to 74% of the normal area and 78% of last year's corresponding acreage.
Affected area: 2,44,443 hectares across 284 mandals and 1,792 RSKs or village areas.
Most affected districts: Kurnool had 1,09,255 affected hectares, followed by Nandyal with 80,751 and Anantapur with 32,456.
Crop surveys: Surveys covered 2.7493 crore of 2.7558 crore plots, or 99.76%.
Alternative crops: Alternative crops were planted on 34,567 hectares, with another 95,112 hectares targeted.

deccanchronicle.com · 46 mins ago