El Niño: Farmers urged to adopt protective irrigation methods in Sri Sathya Sai district

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

The district administration has urged farmers to adopt protective irrigation, water-saving practices, and alternative crops to minimise losses amid intensified El Niño conditions and deficient rainfall in Sri Sathya Sai district, which is known as a rain shadow region.

Speaking to the media here on Sunday (August 23, 2026), District Collector Shyam Prasad said that only 45% of the district’s normal cultivated area had been covered so far, while rainfall deficiency had touched 57%.

He said farmers should opt for judicious water management and irrigate crops only with the quantity they require. All eligible farmers in the district had already been brought under crop insurance coverage, he added.

Mr. Shyam Prasad said that 16,000 quintals of seeds are ready for distribution at an 80% subsidy to ensure farmers take up alternative crops if rains improve in the coming weeks. “Measures are also being taken to raise fodder collectively across 1,000 acres to prevent shortage for livestock,” he said.

The Collector directed agriculture officials to expand the successful PMDS (natural farming) model from the existing 94,000 acres to two lakh acres. He urged farmers to dig farm ponds to capture rainwater and use it as protective irrigation during dry spells.

Farmers with borewells have been advised to adopt drip irrigation to reduce water wastage. “Scientists were informed to demonstrate a soil-testing kit at workshops for the farmers and distribute newly developed castor seeds to selected farmers for experimental cultivation. Officials of agriculture, DRDA, DWMA, AP Micro Irrigation Project, sericulture and marketing departments, scientists, NGOs, FPO representatives and farmers should work in coordination to overcome the El Niño impact,” the Collector said.

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.