Paddy cultivation suspended in NTR district due to water shortage

Vijayawada: In light of the severe water shortage in the district, the Department of Agriculture has advised farmers to refrain from cultivating rice with husk during the next Rabi season. The decision was taken after a meeting of the Rio Advisory Council (IAB), which concluded that water would not be returned to the channels during the Rabi season.

Agriculture official S. Naga Manemma encouraged farmers to consider alternative crops in place of rice, emphasizing the need to conserve water. Suggested green gram varieties LGB 460, 630, 607, 407, 574, WGB 37, LGB 884, TBG 104 and GBG 1 as suitable alternatives for cultivation in Rabi season.

The district has experienced a deficit of precipitation of 18 percent during the kharif season, which has caused an inadequate storage of water in the main embals. This scarcity requires abandoning crops that require a lot of water, such as rice, to guarantee a sustainable water management.