ICAR-CRIDA conducted five days skill development programme for farmers from Mancherial District under SCSP on “Rainwater management for enhancing the productivity in rainfed agriculture” from February 23-27, 2026. The programme started on 23rd February 2026.
20 farmers from Edagatta,Kondampet and Mallampet villages of Mandal Kotapally, District Mancherial, Telangana attended the programes

The training program emphasised the critical importance of rainwater management practices for improving productivity and resilience in rainfed agriculture. The sessions covered key aspects such as in-situ and ex-situ moisture conservation, rainwater harvesting in farm ponds and efficient utilization with micro irrigation systems, cropping system intensification, contingency crop planning and climate-resilient technologies for rainfed regions.

Practical demonstrations and interactive discussions enabled participants to gain hands-on knowledge on improving water-use efficiency and sustaining crop productivity under erratic rainfall conditions. For the farmers, exposure visits were conducted in Water and Land Management Training And Research Institute (WALAMTARI) and National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD&PR), Hyderabad. Participants also visited the National Fisheries Development Board.

The valedictory session was held on 27 February 2026. Dr. K. V. Rao, Head, Division of Resource Management (DRM), ICAR-CRIDA, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. In his address, he reiterated the importance of integrated rainwater management strategies and encouraged farmers to adopt improved technologies for enhancing farm income and climate resilience.

He also distributed certificates to the participants. Dr. T. V. Prasad, Nodal officer of SCSP programme presented remarks on the SC Sub Plan and its impact through such training initiatives. Feedback was shared by the trainees, who expressed satisfaction with the practical relevance of the programme. The training programme was coordinated by Dr. Boini Narsimlu (Course Director) along with Dr. V. Visha Kumari, Dr. Savitha Santosh, Dr. A.G.K. Reddy and Dr. Ravikant K. Adake as Co-Coordinators.