Kurnool: Congress leaders on Tuesday demanded that farm loans be waived in Andhra Pradesh as the agricultural community is faced with serious drought conditions.
PCC president Gidugu Rudraraju, AICC CWC member Raghuveera Reddy, APCC state media chairman Tulasi Reddy, APCC working president Mastan Vali, Nandyal parliament DCC president BL Narasimha Yadav and Kurnool district president Babu Rao participated in the Rythu Garjana Rally in the city.
They said, this year, the drought has reached unprecedented levels. From June to now, the normal rainfall should have been 729mm, but only 54mm has been recorded in 26 districts.
“Eight districts have received the normal rainfall, which indicates a 31 per cent deficit rainfall.”
Out of the 685 mandals in AP, 449 have been affected by this situation. “Due to the lack of rainfall, 40 per cent of the cultivated land couldn't yield any crops during the Kharif season, and 60 per cent of the cultivated land saw its crops wither.”
Groundwater levels have fallen, and in areas where there is still groundwater, power cuts have led to crop failure. In many regions, employment opportunities have dried up, leaving elderly to care for young children; and in some places, people have been forced to migrate, they said.
They said the Karnataka government released a list of drought-affected areas on Sept 24. A team of central officials conducted a field assessment and submitted a report to the central government. However, the AP government delayed this and announced the list of drought-affected areas on Oct 31.
“It is unfortunate that while 449 mandals in 18 districts of the state have been declared as drought-affected, only 13 mandals in seven districts have been accorded this status.”
Former Union ministers JD Seelam and Chinta Mohan, APCC working president Janga Gowtham, APCC state women's congress president Lam Tantiya Kumari and others were present.
