Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao directed officials to prepare proposals on the mandals under impact of drought, in coordination with Revenue Department officials, in view of prevailing rainfall conditions.

At a meeting with officials of Marketing Federation and Telangana State Co-Operative Oilseeds Growers Federation Ltd in Hyderabad on Thursday, the Minister discussed the impact of El Nino, indicators to be considered to estimate drought severity, measures needed to provide financial relief to farmers and other aspects. 

Indicators to estimate drought severity

Besides Union Agriculture Ministry’s guidelines on drought which includes rainfall deficit, other indicators would be considered including difference in rainfall, soil moisture, dry season, extent of area sown, reservoir levels, groundwater levels, fodder availability, drinking water, employment, migration, and others, the Minister said, adding that information from Agriculture department has to be provided to Revenue department. 

The Agriculture department cited drought management guidelines, which stated that an area has to be categorised as rainfall deficit if it received 20% to 59% less than normal rainfall; huge deficit if it is 60% to 99% lower than the normal, and severe if there is no rainfall.  Besides this, field visits have to be taken up wherever necessary.

Besides, the Agriculture Minister said that extent of cultivated area less than 85% than the normal has to be considered as an indicator of drought, and as severe drought if it is less than 75%.

Mr. Rao demanded the Centre procure 100% Minimum Support Price (MSP)-notified crops in view of El Nino conditions, which would benefit farmers. The Centre’s responsibility does not end with announcing MSP or increasing it, it has to ensure that all farmers receive it, he said. 

The State recorded a 17% rainfall deficit in this year’s Southwest Monsoon.  Out of the 33 districts in the State, 15 were categorised under the normal rainfall category and 18 were classified as deficient, according to a report of Telangana Development Planning Society (TGDPS). One mandal was in the large excess category, 36 were in the excess category, 259 were normal, 320 were deficient and five were large deficient.