Tirupati: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Monday asked farmers to adopt natural farming, PMDS, micro irrigation and water conservation measures to cope with El Nino-induced drought and use available water judiciously.
Addressing a public meeting in Kuppam, Naidu said low reservoir levels in the state required careful use of water and urged farmers to take up low-water crops, including millets.
Every farmer should ensure that rainwater percolated into the ground, turning farmland into a water storage system.
“Water from rivers and local sources should be diverted to tanks. Over 550 minor irrigation tanks in Kuppam would be linked through lift irrigation and pipelines, while reservoirs were proposed at Yamiganipalli and Manapalli.
A `45 crore reservoir would be built near Beeruvanipalle through the Kuppam Branch Canal of the HNSS project”, he said.
Naidu asked officials to bring every possible acre under PMDS (Pre-Monsoon Dry Sowing) and promote 32 types of crops.
“Fields should remain under green cover to retain moisture and reduce heat.
Crop and sericulture waste should be used for mulching, biochar and organic manure instead of being burnt” he said and called for horticulture, floriculture, sericulture, dairy and poultry, greenhouse farming, wider chrysanthemum cultivation and better market linkages.
He directed officials to calculate family incomes by combining agriculture and allied activities for holdings of one acre, two acres or more, and identify successful models through village workshops.
Sericulture farmers should receive support for sheds and machinery, while quality fodder should be provided under the “Jeerangi” programme.
Kuppam, the CM said, is being developed as “Swarna Kuppam”, with infrastructure in every village, houses for eligible families and drinking water for all.
Some 32 industries had been established there and around 8,500 women were receiving digital literacy and entrepreneurship training, while local youth would be trained for jobs in local industries.
He said, “The Dadar Puducherry Express would stop at Kuppam, while road links with Bengaluru, Chennai, KGF and Krishnagiri and connectivity to Krishnapatnam Port would be improved.
An alternative Kuppam-Bengaluru road, broad gauge link with Chittoor and an airport are proposed. Every household is targeted for solar rooftop power,” he said.
Naidu said 8,904 Bangaru Kutumbalu had been identified under P4, with the aim of making Kuppam poverty-free.
Poor children would be supported through education, skill development and employment, while livestock, tailoring and small industries would be promoted under the One Andhra Pradesh, One Family approach.
Promoting the One Family, One Entrepreneur initiative, the CM called for a startup incubation centre, a three-month training and mentoring, and entrepreneurship education from Class VII.
He asked officials to develop tourism and adventure tourism and identify suitable industries, technologies and startups.
Naidu said Kuppam would also be developed as a net-zero constituency, covering hospitals, schools, colleges and government offices.
He cited the achievements of Surekha, entrepreneur Subrahmanyam and social media content creator Vicky Vignesh.
He also referred to Lakshmi, who established a brick kiln with government and TVS support, and said TVS, Adani and Megha had adopted around 8,900 families.
Naidu briefly stopped his speech when the Azaan was heard from a nearby mosque and resumed his speech after the prayer.
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