El Niño: Farmers urged to adopt protective irrigation methods in Sri Sathya Sai district

The district administration has urged farmers to adopt protective irrigation, water-saving practices, and alternative crops to minimise losses amid intensified El Niño conditions and deficient rainfall in Sri Sathya Sai district, which is known as a rain shadow region.Speaking to the media here on Sunday (August 23, 2026), District Collector Shyam Prasad said that only 45% of the district’s normal cultivated area had been covered so far, while rainfall deficiency had touched 57%.He said farmers should opt for judicious water management and irrigate crops only with the quantity they require. All eligible farmers in the district had already been brought under crop insurance coverage, he added.Mr. Shyam Prasad said that 16,000 quintals of seeds are ready for distribution at an 80% subsidy to