Theo_Fidel wrote:Shaaradula, thanx for the maps. they are very interesting.
I too think this entire battle is over water. Even the fury in Seemandhra is all about water. The problem in SI is never rainfall, it is the evaporation rate. Some of the highest in the world. Even dry NI karnataka receives about 25-30 inches of rainfall a year, which about what chicago gets. But the evaportion rate in Telangana is roughly 180 cm's per year or 50-60 inches. Also notice that your map identifies that Telangana is underlain by the Dharwar Craton, very old dense granite, read, low porosity, little ground water. RWH will have a very limited potential here. Need something line sandstone, limestone or even weathered basalt to help with ground water retention.
My own view is complex. Take the looong term. Agriculture in India is already down to 15% of GDP and in our lifetime will probably drop to 5%-6% of GDP. Between WB, Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna Cauvery Delta regions there is roughly 50 million acres of land. When operated to 2/3 of world level performance these areas can easily produce 12-15 tonnes per Hectare of grain and produce. In a scientifically run hydroponic system as in Almira Spain, you can easily produce 60-80 tonnes of tomato's per hectare for instance. Delta regions around the world are fantastically productive due to a combination of high sediment, nutrient flow, 330+ days of sunshine, High air pressure @ MSL (important), low pest concentrations, etc. Throw in a few other areas like parts of Punjab, Haryana, Western UP etc, these areas can easily feed 2-3 times India's population without really breaking a sweat. Just need high skill level and organized agriculture.
All the rest are also rans, IMVHO. There is simply no way Telangana highland agriculture can ever compete with seemandhra delta agriculture. Notice also that Telangana highland is Dharwar craton, this is old, very old, granite shield material. Depleted in nutrients and not good agriculture material.
If you look at the map you will notice that the northen band of Telangana is quite wet, the problem is that the Godavari valley stands between it and and the arid highlands south. The Highlands are typically 1600' plus. The Krishna Godavari valleys are at 500' or so. Some parts of krishna are at 1000'. This has always been a challenge, how to get the water up there. And do it in a financially viable manner. The truncated state could easily bankrupt itself trying to compete with the delta areas in agriculture.
Theo, there is no competition with anyone, only an aspiration for better lives. There is nothing wrong with T soil. If water is available, you can comfortably grow three crops. Though agriculture's contribution to GDP is less and decreasing, the number of people dependent on it still very high. Without increasing the purchasing power of these people, the region as a whole will remain backward. Water is needed for industries too, not only agriculture.
For regions that are at a height, lift irrigation is the proposed method. That's true even for coastal areas that are high. Same for Rayalaseema too.
matrimc wrote:ramana wrote:One of the complaints is that rain fe marginal crops were replaced with high water demanding crops.
Totally true in T where tobacco replaced lentils (tur daal, channa, Pesalu), Jonnalu (sorgham) and makkalu (corn) and peanuts. A lot of veggies are also replaced with cash crops - tobacco and sugarcane. There used to be wheat which is now non-existent, AFIK. Of course, rice is always grown (and water hungry). There are a lot of "metta bhoomulu" (high and dry fields) that are quite suitable for lentils and peanuts.
I have seen tobacco grown occasionally, sugar cane even rarer, but its cotton, mirchi, rice, peanuts and legumes that are common - at least when I was growing up. ButRice is staple food, so you have to grow even if only for personal consumption. It is also necessary for food safety of AP and India. If T stops cultivating rice, rice prices will shoot through the roof.
