In the Nalgonda district, farmers are grappling with the repercussions of insufficient irrigation water, leading to drying of crops. They are resorting to alternatives, such as spending substantial amounts to procure water through tankers. The situation is dire in the Nagarjuna Sagar left canal ayacut.
Nagiri Srinivas, a farmer from Tripuraram Mandal in Nalgonda, recently faced water scarcity despite having a well and borewell in his four-acre paddy field. Despite digging another borewell a month ago, the water supply remained insufficient. Consequently, he resorted to sourcing water from a nearby village, Bejjikal, at the cost of Rs. 2,000 per tanker, with fifteen tankers needed to irrigate one acre of land.
Similarly, Gantla Ravinder Reddy, a farmer from Peddakaparthi in Chityala Mandal, is facing the imminent drying up of his lemon crop. He has resorted to using tankers, spending Rs. 6,600 per week to sustain his orchard. Reddy also highlighted the struggle to irrigate his seven-acre paddy field, where only three acres received water due to the scarcity.
Drought conditions are exacerbating the situation in Ramannapet Mandal of Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district. The insufficient water flow in the Asifnahar canal and depleting groundwater levels are necessitating irrigation through tankers.
Farmer Dhanunjaya, from Bogaram in Ramannapet Mandal, is witnessing his two and a half acres of rice fields drying up despite efforts to irrigate through tankers. He expressed his concern over spending Rs. 2,500 per day in the last 20 days on tankers to salvage his crops.