Avoid water intensive crops to avoid financial distress: Telangana MP urges farmers

Bhongir MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy has urged farmers in Telangana to avoid water-intensive crops in view of the possibility of El Niño conditions, cautioning that inadequate water could cause financial distress to farmers who opt for crops such as paddy.

He said Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had alerted people to the possible impact of El Niño and advised farmers to take precautionary measures. The weather phenomena was not an issue confined to Telangana, as it could affect regions across the world, he said, criticising the Opposition for politicising the issue.

Mr. Reddy said farmers would be among the first to suffer the consequences of El Niño and appealed to them not to be misled by the Opposition. Instead, they should consider the Chief Minister’s advice and choose crops that require less water, he said.

Farmers who cultivate paddy and other water-intensive crops could face financial difficulties if sufficient water was not available during the crop cycle, he warned.

Observing that natural disasters and climatic phenomena were beyond the control of any government, the MP said water shortages also affected electricity generation. The State had reached a position where it supplied 20,000 MW of power, he said, highlighting the need to manage available water resources carefully.