A wild hurdle: Telangana govt's crop switch runs into a monkey trap

The Telangana government has urged farmers to shift from paddy cultivation due to water scarcity concerns. The agriculture department projects an acreage of 70 lakh to 75 lakh acres for the forthcoming Yasangi season. Experts, however, predict that actual cultivation may drop below 50 lakh acres because of dwindling resources and weather uncertainties. To support this shift, the department will