Scarcity conditions in over 200 mandals Exercise underway to assess drought intensity
Published Date – 4 April 2024, 09:57 PM
Representational Image
Hyderabad: With the water levels in major reservoirs being significantly lower than last year and the groundwater sources fast depleting, the state is in for a severe drought-like situation that has already impacted its agriculture, water availability, and livelihoods. The situation is critical in over 200 mandals where in the ground water table registered a drop and as a fallout the drinking water issues have taken precedence over irrigation needs.
Peasant community has given up its hope on the standing crops in a withering stage. Giving in to the mounting pressure from the peasant bodies and the opposition parties, the government has tasked the department of disaster management to assess the situation.
In a way the exercise has got underway to identify the areas with acute scarcity conditions for drought declaration as part of measure to mitigate the impact of the water scarcity. It is in the process of gathering information on the rainfall situation since June 2023 and the condition of Yasangi crops.
Govt. for hiring private wells and borewells
The situation is so alarming at places that the, private bore wells and open wells are also being hired to augment the drinking water supply.
Rainfall deviation, prolonged dry spells, crop extent and yields, vegetation indices, soil moisture, water availability in rivers and reservoirs, ground water table are the basic and mandatory indicators taken into consideration for declaration of drought. So far as the crop extent is concerned, it is no way less than the normal.
This time we have crops in some 51 lakh acres against 55 lakh acres last year, according to officials. So far as the rainfall is concerned, despite a five per cent surplus in the current year so far, the state has faced a 56.7 per cent rainfall deficit from October 2023 to March 2024 . It received only 59.2 mm of rain as against expected 136. 9 mm.
Water storage in almost all the reservoirs in the Krishna basin and Godavari basin are touching the minimum draw down levels (MDDL). The ground water situation is also appalling with over 201 revenue mandals, accounting for nearly 33 per cent of the total area in State have experienced a big drop in the table. State is however yet to conduct on- ground sample surveys to determine the intensity of drought conditions.
As the first step in the direction of addressing the drinking water scarcity, the government has issued instructions to the administration in the districts to hire the irrigation wells where ever possible immediately after harvest of Yesangi and make use of them to augment the drinking water supply. The government had sanctioned some Rs 100 crore to address the water scarcity issues in all the districts so far.
The prevailing conditions in some of the districts was a grim reminder of the November 2015 when as many as 231 mandals were declared drought hit in the state. The state had requested for a financial assistance of Rs 1000 crore from the Centre to mitigate the situation. The previous government had responded with immediate relief measures supporting the affected communities. Timely response is crucial in drought relief.
