26 mandals in grip of drought in Vizianagaram

Vizianagaram: Thousands of hectares in the district remain as non-transplanted area due to unavailability of water in the kharif season. The farmers have already lost their one crop and now, searching for food grains to feed their family till the next harvesting season.

Though the district administration sent proposals to declare 26 mandals as drought-affected, the government announced only four mandals, L Kota, S Kota, Jami and Parvathipuram as drought-hit.

The parameters followed by the government officials in declaring the district as drought-hit are badly affecting the farmers particularly the farm sector. June, July and August are very crucial for kharif season, but the district had received less rainfall during June and July.

September and October are very crucial for paddy in kharif but the district didn’t get any rainfall in these two months. Paddy is cultivated in 1.2 lakh hectares of land in the district in kharif season.

Terlam, Bobbili, Garugubilli, Cheepurupalli, Gurla, R B Puram, Gajapathinagaram and many more are severely affected with less rainfall. The agriculture and revenue officials consider a mandal as drought-hit if it has no rain in the past 21 days. 

Unfortunately, if any mandal has no rain in the past 20 days and receive rain on 21st day, It will not be considered as draught-hit area.  Another parameter to declare drought-hit area is the mandal should have received 29 per cent of less rainfall. But most mandals have received more rain during unwanted days and not getting rain at critical point. 

All these parameters and consequences have pushed the farmers into trouble. Dattirajeru mandal got abnormal rainfall this season and the paddy nurseries are dried up due to unavailability of water. Joint director of agriculture department B Leelavathi said most mandals in the district experienced less rainfall. “Thousands of acres of land remain barren in Vizianagaram district.

We have toured in those areas and sent a comprehensive report to the government and requested it to announce them as drought-hit areas.  Then the loans of farmers would be rescheduled, and seeds and other inputs would be given at either subsidised price or at free of cost,” she said.