Deficit rainfall in June, July and August have left farmers worried this Kharif season as agriculture fields turn dry. Representative image
| Photo Credit: File Photo
Vizianagaram district has been experiencing drought like conditions this year, reportedly due to the impact of El Nino, causing concerns among thousands of farmers who depend largely on rainfall for agricultural activity.According to official data, the district recorded a 37.22% deficit rainfall in the last three months.In June the district received around 96.3 mm rainfall as against the normal 123.5 mm. The trend continued in July, where the district received 58.1 mm as against the normal rainfall of 170.8 mm. The deficit persisted in August as well where the district received 131.8 mm against the normal 161.6 mm.Normally, the southwest monsoon bring in 455.9 mm of rainfall during the Kharif season. However, until the last week of August only 286.2 mm rainfall has been recorded.The continuous rainfall deficit, the crop area has shrunk to 59,337 hectares as against 1,23, 608 hectares. Crops like paddy, maize, sugarcane and need more water. Rivers, canals, ponds in many parts of the district have almost dried up.Vizianagaram District Agriculture Department’s Joint Director V.T. Ramarao told The Hindu that the district administration was creating awareness among farmers about the importance of crop insurance in view of El Nino impact.He said fertilizer stocks were good in all mandals of the district. He expressed hope that rainfall would improve over the next couple of months, although the first half of the Kharif season has been badly affected with the changing climatic conditions.AP Rythu Sangham-Vizianagaram district president S. Gopalam and general secretary B. Rambabu have urged the government to announce a special financial package for farmers, as many would be unable to earn adequate income this year because of the monsoon deficit and impact of El Nino. Published - August 27, 2026 07:43 pm IST
