In a distressing turn of events, farmers across Telangana are grappling with significant losses as their crops dried due to insufficient irrigation water facilities and inadequate support from the Congress government. The state government’s apparent negligence and ineffective governance have exacerbated the plight of farmers, pushing them into dire financial straits.
This Yasangi season has brought nothing but despair for farmers. Despite enduring numerous hardships, the crops are drying up before their eyes, leaving them in despair. According to estimates by the agriculture department, a staggering 67.55 lakh acres of land have been cultivated with various crops during this Yasangi season. Paddy, covering 51.71 lakh acres, stands as the predominant crop. However, a significant portion of these crops, around 15 to 20 percent, has already succumbed to the harsh conditions. The situation is particularly dire in districts such as Nalgonda, Karimnagar, Warangal, Medak, Nizamabad, Adilabad, and Mahbubnagar.
There is around 20 lakh acres ayacut under SRSP canal and borwells and 6 lakh acres under the Nagarjuna Sagar left canal. It is reported that nearly 30 to 40 percent of crops in these areas have dried up. The cumulative effect has resulted in losses estimated at around Rs. 3,000 crore across the state.
Farmers, already burdened by financial woes, now find themselves drowning in debt as their investments in cultivation go to waste. The costs of plowing, labor, fertilizers, seeds, and weed killers, amounting to approximately Rs. 30,000 per acre for paddy cultivation, are now lost. The failure of the government to take adequate measures to support farmers in distress has only compounded their suffering.
The delay in announcing compensation for the losses incurred due to untimely rains further exacerbates the farmers’ predicament. While the government cites election code as a hindrance to providing compensation, farmers continue to suffer without any respite.