Collector announces climate resilience plan to mitigate El Niño conditions in Annamayya

Annamayya District Collector Nishant Kumar on Wednesday said that the district administration was ready with an extensive climate-resilience action plan to mitigate the projected El Niño conditions such as prolonged dry spells, high temperatures, air and soil moisture stress and rainfall deficiency.

Speaking to The Hindu, the Collector said the strategy would comprise water conservation modules, climate-resilient agriculture methods, micro-irrigation, drinking water security and livestock protection to bring down climate-related risks and protect rural livelihoods across the district.

“We are prepared with a proactive approach to ensure that farmers and rural communities are safeguarded from the adverse effects of climate variability,” the Collector said.

Pelletized Pre-Monsoon Dry Sowing (PMDS) would be a key driver, which is being promoted as a climate-resilient agricultural practice. “PMDS has already covered 50,154.2 acres in Annamayya district and it will benefit 47,245 farmers. We have also identified 22 high-risk and three medium-risk mandals for focused interventions. The focus is also to promote short-duration and drought-tolerant crops suited to local rainfall conditions,” Mr. Nishant Kumar said.

The Collector said that the Jaladhara water conservation initiative had been intensified, with 4,304 works taken up across the district. “We could achieve a remarkable feat of restoring 3,443 kilometres of feeder channels, which enhanced water storage capacity and improved groundwater recharge in several mandals. Current groundwater availability has also increased phenomenally compared to last year. This clearly shows the impact of sustained conservation measures,” he said.

Micro-irrigation has been given top priority through substantial subsidies for eligible farmers, while water-saving cultivation practices received a fillip in drought-prone mandals. The Horticulture department has been instructed to initiate crop-specific measures to protect fruit and vegetable crops in view of the prolonged heat and fall in moisture, the Collector said.