El Niño impact: Paddy area in Andhra’s Vizianagaram falls from 1 lakh hectares to 20,760
The El Niño weather pattern has sharply reduced the paddy‑cultivated area in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh, falling from about 100,000 hectares to roughly 20,760 hectares. Twenty‑four of the district’s 27 mandals reported a shortfall, and canals in Cheepurupalli ran dry because water releases from the Thotapalli reservoir were insufficient. The district’s joint director has urged farmers to adopt crops that require less irrigation.