The dry spell continuing for over three weeks now in different parts of Telangana has had adverse impact on the standing crops with the rain-fed ones facing severe moisture stress in the middle of the south-west monsoon season. On the other hand, it has jacked up energy consumption to summer season levels.
Although the kharif crops have been raised on nearly 1.1 crore acres so far this season with about 86% of the extent covered by paddy and cotton, the rain-fed crops, including cotton in the vegetative stage, is facing severe moisture stress in several parts of the State. As a result, energy consumption in the State this month is on the scale of summer, particularly February-March period, when consumption from farm sector is also high.
According to TS-Transo authorities, the peak load of power on the system was over 14,361 megawatt (MW) on Friday (August 25). “Never in the past has the energy consumption during the kharif season crossed the 14,000 MW barrier. It was only for 18 days in February this year and 22 days in March that the peak load was over 14,000 MW. This month, the peak load was over 13,000 MW on 11 other days so far,” a Transco official explained.
Energy consumption is hovering beyond 250 million units a day constantly this month for the first time in a kharif season even after the launch of 24x7 free power for farmers from January 1, 2018. It was 274.4 million units on August 13 and 275.66 million units on Friday (August 25).
Information reaching here indicates that short-duration pulses such as greengram and blackgram, which were sown on about 72,000 acres, in the flowering to seed formation stage are badly hit due to moisture stress and are wilting in mid-day. “Unless there is some precipitation in the next few days, such crops could also face the prospects of withering too,” an agriculture scientist said.
IMD statistics put the average rainfall in the State as normal as of August 25 since it is 14% above normal for the period (a deviation of 19%, plus or minus, over the normal is considered normal rainfall). The impact of the dry spell could be assessed from the fact that average rainfall in the State was 65% in excess compared to normal as of July 28, the highest for the season.
In one district (Nalgonda), the deficit is already 49% and in 17 other districts, the average rainfall could slip into deficit, beyond -19% deviation, as it ranges from -16% to +14%. Average rainfall in Suryapet, Nagarkurnool, Khammam, Rangareddy, Wanaparthy and Bhadradri-Kothagudem districts is already in the negative although it is “normal” technically.
