Groundnut crop withers in CM’s home turf

- District Collector’s move to operate rain guns experiment proves ineffective in Chittoor district
- Agriculture JDA says the monsoon is playing truant in several mandals of western parts of district

Chittoor: The groundnut crop in Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu home turf Kuppam is withering drastically due to deficit rainfall. Above 75 per cent of crop sown in Kuppam, Gudipalli, Ramakuppam, Santhipuram besides V Kota (Industries Minister N Amaranatha Reddy constituency) is almost at the withering stage.

Farmers are in deep distress due to long dry spell prevailed in the last two months. District Collector P S Pradyumna instructed the Joint Director of Agriculture Vijayakumar to save the crops with rain guns. As the groundwater levels have fallen steeply, applying rain guns operation would witness a futile effort, it is feared. However, 320 rain guns, 35 oil tankers, 2,680 sprinklers are expected to reach the drought-hit mandals of Kuppam constituency in a couple of days for commencing rain guns operation, it is learnt. According to official sources, as many 435 hectares groundnut crop in Kuppam mandal; 675 hectares in Gudipalli mandal; 321 hectares in Ramakuppam mandal and 438 hectares in Santhipuram mandal were badly affected due to deficit rainfall.

Seeds germination is said to be impressive in all the mandals when the farmers have sown groundnut in a big way. It is significant that all the four mandals in Kuppam constituency, Kuppam, Gudipalli, Ramakuppam and Santhipuram were declared as drought-affected during 2016-17. Speaking to The Hans India on Monday, the JDA admitted adverse seasonal conditions prevailed in Kuppam Assembly constituency. He regretted the monsoon was playing truant in several mandals of western parts of district and assured that withering groundnut crop would be saved through rain guns and sprinklers leaving no stone unturned to protect farmers from crop loss.

“There are 1,840 rain guns available with Agricultural department. Stage has been set to operate 240 rain guns in Kuppam and the farmers should make use of them. Crop saving measures would be taken with high alert. If the dry spell continues for another one or two weeks, it would be very difficult to manage the withering crop,” he added. He said the state has decided not to entertain any subsidy for purchasing rain guns and a special team of agricultural officers would be deployed to Kuppam segment for monitoring rain guns operation.

Referring to groundnut crop status in the district, Viyayakumar said several mandals in Chittoor agricultural division—Bangarupalyam, Irala, Gudipala, Thavanamapalli-- are reeling under serious drought spell, whereas the crop was withering in a big way in Kuppam area. It may be recalled here that rain guns operation for saving the crop was undertaken in these four mandal last year under the personal monitoring of Municipal Minister P Narayana, who was also holding district in-charge Minister portfolio.

C Prabhakara Rao