Telangana: Farmers expand crop area amid good rains

Major reservoirs were holding 818.39 tmc ft water as on September 25, while stood at 529.10 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) the same date last year. The state received 948.2 mm rainfall between June 1 and September 25, up 32 per cent from the normal of 717.3 mm.

With rains picking up in August and September, sowing of paddy reached a high of 65.49 lakh acres as on September 25, from 64.61 lakh acres on the same day last year. This is thrice the 22.74 acres achieved in 2014.

The area under food grains rose to 106.58 per cent of the season normal. Maize, the other major crop, reached 89.73 per cent of its normal area with 54.68 lakh acres; pulses 69.30 per cent and oil seeds 89.11 per cent.

Fifteen districts had cultivation beyond their season's normal while 17 had crop coverage between 76 and 100 per cent.

Of the 33 districts, five received rains in excess of 60 per cent with Mulugu recording the highest at 1,559.6 mm while Yadadri received 626.6 mm rain.

The ground water table on average is was 1.31 feet below the level of last year across the state.