Agriculture experts have called for a reduction in paddy acreage to help stem falling groundwater levels and deteriorating soil health.
Center for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA) chief executive officer GV Ramanjaneyulu flagged the serious structural deterioration in soil health caused by modern paddy farming practices.
texture change
He explained that extensive puddling (the process of repeatedly plowing and churning wet soil) has transformed the soil into a “flour”-like texture, creating a hard concrete-like pan beneath the surface.
This prevents rainwater from seeping through, making the soil unable to recharge groundwater even during heavy rainfall.
soil health
Making a presentation on Future scenario for Telangana agriculture Here on Tuesday, Ramayanayulu warned that the state’s natural resource base, especially the health of groundwater and soil, could reach a state by 2030 with no corrective measures taken within the next five to six years.
The session was part of a one-day workshop on the future of Telangana agriculture organized by the Government of Telangana, CSA and Deccan Development Society (DDS).
Rise of Telangana
The discussion focused on ways to achieve the goals outlined Telangana Rising 2047 Vision DocumentWhose aim is to create a 3 trillion dollar economy by 2047.
Ramanjaneyulu said about 70 per cent of the state’s groundwater had already entered the “critical zone”.
He warned, “If we continue to adopt normal farming methods, by 2030 we will reach a level of decline from which recovery will not be possible.”
water stress
Ramajanayulu said that despite visible cash flows, farmers’ “real income” has remained stagnant since 2018 due to inflation and rising input costs.
He identified the uncontrolled expansion of paddy cultivation as the epicenter of the crisis. While the area under paddy has increased by 42 percent, it now uses 62 percent of the state’s available water.
Sri Konda Lakshmana Telangana Horticultural University (SKLTGHU) Vice Chancellor Danda Raji Reddy reiterated the concerns and stressed the need for crop diversification.
“Of the crop area of about 1.3 crore acres in the state, most is under paddy. A significant portion should be shifted to horticulture and other crops,” he said.
Women as stakeholders
V Rukmini Rao, director of Gramya Resource Center for Women, stressed that women, who form 60-70 per cent of the agricultural workforce, should be recognized as farmers so that they can get access to institutional credit and other such benefits.
D Narasimha Reddy, retired economics professor at Hyderabad Central University, said that while formulating policies for agricultural development, the focus should be on empowering small and marginal farmers, who form the majority.
Published on January 27, 2026
