Kurnool reels under drought

Kurnool: Drought situations are haunting the farmers though kharif season has started a month ago in the district. Farmers, expecting adequate rain fall, have planted cotton, ground nut, onion, tomato, castor and other commercial crops.

The expectations of the farmers have vanished just after a month of planting crops. Due to irrigation water scarcity, farmers have been facing hardships to protect their crops. They are wetting the crops by hiring water tankers.

The tenant farmers are said to be the worst victims this kharif season. A farmer, Basha of Pathikonda has taken 4 acres of land on lease and has planted ground nut and cotton crops after initial rains.

After a month, there were no traces of rains in the district with which the planted crops began to wither. It is learnt that he had invested huge amount on both the crops after borrowing hand loans on huge interest. Now the position of the farmer is like between the devil and deep sea.

Neither he can destroy the crops, nor he can invest more amounts to save the crops. Basha speaking to The Hans India said that he has taken four acres of land on lease after paying Rs.20,000 per acre. Another Rs.40,000 has been invested towards labour charges.

Altogether he has invested Rs.1.20 lakhs on four acres. I have planted cotton and ground nut crops expecting good returns. But the situations have proved to be worse.

To save the crops, I am hiring two tractors of water after paying Rs.10,000 each per water tanker. If I could save the ground nut that would serve as fodder to cattle, lamented Basha. Though I have hired tankers for three days after paying Rs.30000 the ground nut crop has withered, he said.

He said how I am going to repay the debts borrowed from the money lenders. Even I don’t have own property so that I can sell and repay the borrowed loan amount. Expecting hopes on the government, Basha said the government can only save.

The Mandal Agriculture Officer, Raja Kishore said the government has declared Pathikonda as drought hit mandal. The government has asked to submit a report about the extent of crops planted in the mandal.

We have accordingly worked out and prepared a report that 16,600 farmers have raised crops in an extent of 13,914 hectares. The report on crop damage has been estimated to Rs.19.52 crores and this report would be sent to the district authorities shortly, he said.

He further said that the lease farmers have to submit an agreement letter with the land owner besides lease card and bank account. All the particulars would be forwarded to the district administration so that the farmers can get some relief from the government, added the MAO Raja Kishore.