Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

No cheer for ryots despite normal rainfall

By Our Special Correspondent

Hyderabad Oct. 13. The South-West monsoon is fast with drawing from the State and 18 districts have reported normal rainfall for the season. However, two districts -- Anantapur and Karimnagar - have suffered deficit rainfall, a staggering 47 per cent in the first and 27 per cent in the second.

Guntur, Nellore and Chittoor received excess rainfall. The districts which received normal rainfall are Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Prakasam, Cuddapah, Kurnool, Mahabubnagar, Ranga Reddy, Hyderabad, Medak, Nizamabad, Adilabad, Warangal, Khammam and Nalgonda.

According to an update of the seasonal conditions presented before the Cabinet at its meeting here today, the deficit suffered by the State, as a whole, however, remained at 5 per cent.

A minus 5 per cent is an occasion to be cheerful about but this need not necessarily reflect a bright agriculture scenario. There would have been excess rain where it was not required and deficits where required.

The lopsided rainfall caged some pockets in drought. In all, 305 out of the 1,127 mandals in the State continue as drought-affected officially.

Region-wise, the deficit suffered by coastal Andhra was 6 per cent and that of Rayalaseema and Telangana each 4 per cent.

The status note paints a grim picture of reservoir storages except in the case of Sriramsagar, Nizamsagar, Singur, Dowlaiswaram, all Godavari-based, Vamsadhara, Nagavali and Bahuda, all in Srikakulam district which were in spate recently. Because of the erratic rainfall, only 75 lakh hectares could be sown under kharif as against the normal extent of 81.41 lakh ha.

The note speaks about untold misery faced by the Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam districts following depression-caused heavy rain recently. There were three deaths in Srikakulam, more than five in Vizianagaram and two in Visakhapatnam. About 5,000 houses were damaged fully or partially in these districts.

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