Chandrababu Naidu warns Andhra Pradesh of El Nino water crisis
Andhra Pradesh is staring at a tough water crisis this year, mostly because of El Nino.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu told the assembly there is going to be 36% less rainfall than usual from June to December, just 557mm instead of the normal 867mm.
July was especially harsh, with rainfall down by 68%, and things are not expected to improve much through November.
Andhra Pradesh reservoirs including Srisailam low
Reservoirs like Srisailam are running low since there is not enough inflow from neighboring states.
Naidu has asked farmers in the Krishna basin to skip paddy and avoid paddy cultivation due to expected water shortage, since dry conditions are also threatening mango, banana, and cashew harvests.
The government is stepping in with tanker water for crops where needed, pushing crop insurance (35.17 lakh applications so far), and encouraging micro-irrigation and organic farming.
Farmers have been urged to finish their insurance sign-ups by the end of August.