Centre criticised for its slow response to drought relief measures

Anantapur: An inter-ministerial central team on Thursday inspected the prevailing drought conditions in Rayalaseema region during Rabi season of 2023-24. The team, led by Joint Secretary and CEO Rithesh Chowhan, included members Chinmay Pundlik Rao, Dr K Ponnu Swamy, Sunil Dube, Ashish Pandey and Aravinda Kumar Soni among others.

Senior official R Kurmanath highlighted that 87 mandals across the State have been declared as drought-hit due to insufficient rainfall during peak period. These include 10 mandals in Nellore, 14 in Anantapur, 31 in Prakasam, and 18 in Kurnool. The State suffered approximately crop damage worth Rs 228 crore over 2.52 lakh hectares. Anantapur district Collector Dr Vinod Kumar reported a significant drop in groundwater levels, with the water table depleting to 15.22 meters in May 2024 from 7.67 meters in May 2023.

Meanwhile, Goutham Buddha FPO president Dr M Suresh Babu was critical of the Union government’s delayed response to the drought, with a delay of six months before sending a team to assess the situation. The State government is still awaiting a report on the assessment and details on the relief measures from the Centre.

The Union government’s lack of urgency in addressing drought relief efforts in Rayalaseema is a growing concern, and there is an urgent need for both the state government and local MPs to advocate for the farmers’ cause.