The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Anantapur News : A victim of man-made drought

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 10, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur

A victim of man-made drought

By B. Chandrashekhar

ANANTAPUR, JULY 9. While lakhs of farmers in the district have been suffering severe drought conditions forced upon them by nature for the past four years, one farmer in Sanapa village of Atmakur mandal has become a victim of man-made drought.

The farmer, Uppara Pothulaiah, has plenty of water in his borewell but is unable to utilise the gift due to the attitude of the administration.

During a recent visit to the village it was found that the poor farmer with 4.86 acres of land-holding is being denied the Government-sanctioned benefit of fixing motor pumpset and energisation of his borewell sunk in 1998.

More appalling is the fact that the BC Corporation had released Rs. 12,000 for sinking the borewell that year, but had forgotten to release the remaining amount of Rs. 40,000 for the beneficiary.

"I had planned to take up horticulture and a few other irrigated dry commercial crops by sinking a borewell," Pothulaiah said. He approached the District Backward Classes Service Cooperative Society (BC Corporation) with a request for financial help for sinking borewell and its energisation.

The BC Corporation acted swiftly and suggested geological investigation of the land for a viable point for sinking a borewell on the farmer's land. Accordingly, a feasibility report was submitted by the department concerned stating that the point suggested by it would have potable water sufficient for taking up irrigated dry crops in the entire land of nearly five acres.

Based on the report the scheme was sanctioned and on depositing Rs. 7,000 margin money the corporation had released Rs. 12,000 out of a total sanctioned scheme cost of Rs. 52,000 for sinking borewell. Though the farmer could strike water at a depth of 60 feet itself he had sunk borewell for 200 feet with availability of 2.5 inches of water.

A letter was written to the then APSEB by the corporation for energisation of the borewell. In its reply, the APSEB asked the corporation to deposit development charges of Rs. 1,000 per horsepower of motor-pumpset capacity and other development charges.

Repeated requests of the farmer to the electricity department for release of the money for energisation of his borewell have fallen on deaf ears.

Sources in the corporation stated that the amount sanctioned to Pothulaiah was given "illegally" to another beneficiary by some officials.

Contacted, the Executive Director of the corporation, Madanmohan Rao, clarified that he had already written to the Collector for sanction of budget for the beneficiary's case.

Though the borewell remains useless to the farmer, it is quenching the thirst of shepherds, who take out water available at a depth of 15 feet with the help of small tumblers.

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