AP Government Urges Farmers to Shift to Drought-Resilient Crops as El Niño Threatens Rainfall

The Andhra Pradesh government has urged farmers to avoid cultivating water-intensive crops such as paddy and instead opt for drought-resilient alternative crops, warning that the impact of El Niño could significantly reduce rainfall during the latter half of the southwest monsoon season.

The advisory follows a State Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, where ministers reviewed the evolving weather situation and the likely consequences of prolonged dry conditions across the state.

Addressing the media after the meeting, Information and Public Relations Minister K. Parthasarathy said the state has already recorded a 51% rainfall deficit, with weather forecasts indicating that conditions could deteriorate further after August. He said farmers should carefully assess the availability of water before taking up paddy cultivation, as insufficient irrigation later in the season could result in heavy crop losses.

The minister also cautioned that groundwater levels are declining rapidly because of the El Niño effect and appealed to farmers not to drill new borewells, stressing that the government was issuing advance advisories to help them make informed decisions rather than face difficulties later.

Highlighting the severity of the water situation, Parthasarathy said that Polavaram on the Godavari River is currently receiving only about 38,000 cusecs of inflow, far below the usual one lakh cusecs expected at this time of the year.

He added that nearly 70% of Kharif transplantation has already been completed in the Godavari and Krishna delta regions. According to the government, 59% of Andhra Pradesh's agriculture depends on irrigation, while the remaining 41% is rain-fed, making the state particularly vulnerable to prolonged rainfall shortages.

To encourage farmers to switch to suitable alternatives, the Agriculture Department will distribute free seed kits for drought-tolerant crops. The minister also reiterated that drinking water will receive the highest priority, with tanker supply being arranged wherever necessary if water scarcity intensifies.