Drought team visits Prakasam

Ongole: The Central government drought team visited fields and villages in Prakasam district from Wednesday afternoon. The team members promised to do justice to drought-affected farmers and see help reached them soon.

The drought team was led by Neeraja Adidam and BC Vatsaya and Ajay Kumar as members in it, reached Ongole from New Delhi in the afternoon and proceeded to Jammulapalem in Tanguturu mandal immediately.

They interacted with the locals and learnt that the drinking water sources in village went dry and the local administration was supplying drinking water through tankers. The farmers in Mittapalem village of Kondapi mandal explained the team that due to drought conditions, they didn’t sow paddy for the last four years.

They said that they are now shifted to rainfed crops like tobacco, red gram and white sorghum. As the drinking water was not available, the villagers complained that they are purchasing water tankers for drinking and irrigation needs.

They also said that they are selling the cattle to slaughter houses, unable to find fodder for them. The farmers and villagers in Jallapalem and Pedda Kallagunta also explained similar pathetic conditions in their villages.

In ST Colony of Garlapeta in Marripudi mandal, the team members interacted with MGNREGS workers and received information about the workdays being provided to them. In Punugodu village of Kanigiri mandal, the locals complained that there was severe drinking water scarcity in the village. Later they visited withered sweet lime orchards at the Ballipalli village and inquired the farmers about the loss.

Joint collector S Nagalakshmi, agriculture joint director PV Srirama Murthy, RWS SE Sanjeeva Reddy, horticulture AD Hariprasad, APMIP PD Raveendra, fisheries JD Balaram, DWMA PD Venkateswarlu and ground water department DD Nagamalleswar Rao accompanied the team members.