Machines Too Waiting for Work as Drought Hits Farm Activity in Rayalaseema

Drought-like conditions prevailing across several parts of Rayalaseema have not only deprived thousands of agricultural labourers of work, but have also left a large number of JCBs, earthmovers, and combine harvesters idle.

Nearly two lakh acres in Kurnool, Nandyal, Kadapa, and Annamayya districts have reportedly not been cultivated due to inadequate rainfall, sharply reducing demand for farm-related earthwork. Owners of heavy machinery, who invested lakhs on them, are worried, as there is no work.

Over the past five years, the number of JCBs, Poclains, and other heavy machines has increased considerably in Rayalaseema. They fulfilled the steady demand for land levelling, digging, farm works, road construction, irrigation projects, and other infrastructure works.

The situation has changed this year. Several machines are now parked at roadsides in towns, with drivers waiting for work, much like daily wage labourers at labour addas.

In Kurnool city alone, more than 1,000 JCBs are available at different machinery stands. Owners say they are sometimes getting work for only a few hours a day, making it difficult to meet diesel, driver wages, maintenance costs, and loan repayments.

“I have kept my JCB at the stand near Nandyal Check Post Circle in Kurnool. But I am not getting even three hours of work a day. We spend entire days waiting for a phone call,” said M. Suresh of Nandikotkur.

A JCB normally fetches around ₹1,200 an hour. Owners say they need at least seven hours of work a day to cover diesel and driver wages, and have some earnings left. “When we get only two or three hours of work, the money earned is almost entirely spent on diesel and wages,” Suresh pointed out.

A new JCB can cost up to ₹60 lakh, forcing many owners to depend on bank loans and monthly instalments. Owners said they are struggling to repay EMIs as the machines have remained idle for several days. Nearly 4,000 JCBs are estimated to be operating in Kurnool, Nandyal, Kadapa, and Annamayya districts.

If each machine gets seven hours of work a day, the combined earnings could be around ₹3.30 crore a day. However, owners say many machines are not getting work even for 15 days a month.

“I have two JCBs and there had been a good demand earlier. This year, the situation is completely different. At times, we are not even recovering the diesel cost,” said B. Obul Reddy of Mydukur in Kadapa district.

Some owners have reportedly started selling their machines to avoid mounting loans and maintenance burdens.

Combine harvester operators have also been impacted. Many of the harvesters have been brought from Punjab for the paddy harvesting season. “We had good business during the past three years. This year, the area under paddy has come down and harvesting orders have fallen sharply. The income is not sufficient even to meet the operating expenses,” said Sardar Singh Mohiya, a combine harvester operator from Punjab.