Andhra Pradesh - Ongole   

4.5 cr. urged to tide over water crisis

— Photo: Srinivas Kommuri

Hope dries up: A farmer dozing off in his field as he could not sow any crop for want of rain in Prakasam district.

ONGOLE: As dry spell continues, Prakasam district is reeling under drought conditions and people are experiencing second summer with day temperatures crossing 40 degree Celsius.

While drinking water problem assumed alarming proportions, kharif crops are endangered. The district administration is gearing up to provide wage employment to landless labour to stave off hunger and migration.

The district received 61 per cent deficit rainfall in the last three months. There were only five rainy days this year as against normal 50 in this period.

District Collector Kantilal Dande has recommended to the government to declare the entire district drought-affected and sought an assistance of Rs. 4.5 crores to mitigate drinking water problem immediately.

Mr Dande said that drinking water was being transported to 50 habitations and the number was likely to go up to 90 soon.

There is heavy demand for deep borewells and deepening of existing wells and extension of pipelines in dry mandals like Markapur, Giddalur, Kanigiri, Dornala etc. Municipal areas too are facing the problem.

Another problem staring the district in the face is fodder shortage. Animal Husbandry department prepared a contingency plan to raise fodder crops on 1000 acres.

Principal Secretary, Irrigation has been requested to release Nagarjuna Sagar water as early as possible to fill up drinking water tanks. Mr Dande expected the release by August 10.

The Collector said that agricultural season can still be saved if the district received rainfall before August 15. The district may need a contingency plan otherwise. In any case, the district administration fears that drought conditions may continue in at least 20 mandals. Farmers raised crops only on 10 per cent of the cropped area till now and the sown crops are withering away due to dryspell.

Following failure of monsoon and sowings, large number of agricultural labour are finding themselves jobless and the demand for wage employment is on the rise. As many as 3000 persons are seeking wage employment. Saying that the district received Rs. 600 crore under National Rural Landless Employment Gurantee Programme (NREGP), he said there is no dearth of funds.

The district administration is being geared up to keep at least Rs. One crore worth of works ready for execution in each mandal so that they can meet the demand for wage employment.

All mandals are advised to keep works ready for one month. District officers have been advised to keep track of the program in every mandal.

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4.5 cr. urged to tide over water crisis

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