Andhra Pradesh government urges farmers to switch from paddy amid severe monsoon deficit

The Andhra Pradesh cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, warned that the 2026‑27 monsoon is expected to be worsened by El Niño, with rainfall deficits already at 51 %. Information & Public Relations Minister K. Parthasarathy said the state must guide farmers away from water‑intensive paddy toward alternative, dry‑crop options, and avoid new borewell drilling. He noted that “if farmers can think in advance on what decision to take, instead of everybody going for paddy and then feeling bad for lack of water after sowing.” The government will distribute seed kits for dry crops and consider tanker supplies for drinking water.

The Water Resources Department echoed the call in the Krishna Delta, urging farmers to skip paddy as reservoir storage is critically low—Srisailam at 19 % and Nagarjuna Sagar at 44 % of capacity. Engineer‑in‑Chief K. Narasimha Murthy warned that “statewide rainfall is down by 51 %, while Krishna Delta is facing a 49 % shortfall,” and emphasized that drinking water for over 6 million residents will be prioritized until June 2027.