Hyderabad: Telangana minister G Vivek Venkataswamy on Saturday, July 18, cautioned farmers in Medak district against cultivating water-intensive crops such as paddy this season, citing forecasts of below-normal rainfall due to the El Nino effect, and advised them to switch to less water-consuming alternatives.
Venkataswamy, who holds the Labour, Employment, Training, Factories, Mines and Geology portfolio, was addressing an awareness programme titled “El Nino Weather Conditions and Alternative Crops” at the Rythu Vedika in Chegunta, where agriculture officials and scientists briefed farmers on rainfall patterns and suitable crops.
He said forecasts indicated below-normal rainfall in Telangana over the next three months, and that cultivating high-water-consuming crops during this period could lead to financial losses for farmers.
He said the issue had been discussed at a state Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, and that officials had been instructed to hold village-level meetings to guide farmers on suitable crop choices.
The minister described oil palm cultivation as a good long-term option, noting that central and state subsidies were available and that farmers could expect stable income from the fourth year of cultivation. He also appealed to the public to cooperate with possible power curbs arising from reduced water levels in reservoirs, saying drinking water needs would be prioritised, and urged people to set aside politics during the crisis.
Minister assures degree college for Chegunta
At a separate meeting in Chegunta, Venkataswamy visited the Government High School in Chegunta for a school kit distribution programme organised by Sureify School Kits, where he told students that those from government schools could reach the highest positions in the country through discipline and hard work, citing two Chegunta students who had secured admission to the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT).
Responding to a long-pending demand from the town, the minister assured that he would take up a proposal for a government degree college in Chegunta with the state government and make every effort to secure its approval.
He also spoke of the state’s Advanced Technology Centres and the Telangana Overseas Manpower Company’s skilling and overseas employment initiatives for youth.
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