Andhra Drought: Drought situation in 54 mandals of five districts of AP.. AP requests Center to help generously
*Andhra Drought: RP Sisodia, Special CS, Andhra Pradesh Revenue Department, has sought a generous response from the Center after studying the situation of Kharif drought in Andhra Pradesh last year. On Thursday, Perin Devi, Joint Secretary, Central Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, met the central team at the office of the State Disaster Management Organization and informed about the drought situation in the state.
Revenue Secretary Sisodia informed the central team about the drought situation in the state. The state government said that last year there was drought situation in 54 mandals of five districts. In Annamayya district – 19 mandals, Chittoor – 16 mandals, Sri Sathya Sai – 10 mandals, Anantapur – 7 mandals, Kurnool – 2 mandals have already been declared as drought mandals. Sisodia named 27 severe drought areas and 27 moderate drought areas.
As per Central Drought Manual, the government has declared drought areas taking into account below normal rainfall, high dry period due to rainfall deficit, remote sensing, soil moisture, hydrology, areas with crop loss more than 33% .
He said that due to the drought, 14 types of crops like cotton, jowar, groundnut, red gram, maize etc. have been damaged and 1.44 lakh farmers in five districts have lost 1.06 lakh hectare area. The state government has provided seeds at 80% subsidy at a cost of Rs 16.67 crore, fodder and fodder seeds at a cost of Rs 55.47 crore, TMR (total mixed ratio) at 60% subsidy, chaff cutter to about 1 lakh farmers. And relief measures like supply of medicines at 40% subsidy have been taken.
Agriculture Department for input subsidy of Rs. 90.62 crore, rural water supply Rs. 0.78 crore, urban water supply Rs. 4.89 crore, Animal Husbandry Department needs financial assistance of Rs 55.47 crore. He appealed to the Central team to provide assistance of Rs 151.77 crore to support the farmers as he has provided actual details about the damage caused by drought at the field level.
On this occasion, Joint Secretary of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, Perin Devi said that the report of crops destroyed due to drought will be sent to the Central Government. Farmers whose crops have suffered damage will be helped in every possible way.
He said he has spoken to farmers in drought mandals of Annamayya, Ananthapuram, Srisatyasai, Chittoor and Kurnool districts and seen the actual situation and will tell all the details to the Center in his report. Said that information about the drought situation has been given in the photo exhibitions organized in the districts. Farmers told about the damage caused by drought at the field level. Perin Devi made it clear that she will provide the committee’s report to the central government as soon as possible and will help as much as possible.
