HYDERABAD, 10 September — A nine-member high-powered central government team yesterday began a four-day visit to Andhra Pradesh to assess damages due to drought in the southern state.
The team, which arrived here late Sunday, split into three groups and left to tour three different regions.
While one group is visiting Telangana districts of Medak, Nizamabad and Nalgonda, the second is going around coastal districts of Prakasam and Nellore. The third will tour Cuddapah, Chittoor and Anantapur districts.
New Delhi deputed the team led by National Horticulture Board Managing Director J.S. Negi following a request by the state for assistance worth 8.11 billion rupees from the National Calamity Contingency Fund and 1.5 million tons of rice. The team will meet farmers, district officials and representatives of farmers’ groups as well as political parties.
Back in Hyderabad Thursday, it will hold discussions with Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Revenue Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Chief Secretary K. Swaminathan, Relief Commissioner D.C. Rosaiah and other senior officials.
The team will then submit its report to the central government. Worried over the deceptive picture the greenery due to late rains might give to the team, the state government is trying to build a strong case for assistance. Officials have compiled data to convince the team that despite late rains, the ground situation remains grim.
Rosaiah said while the recent rains had brought down the overall deficit in rainfall from 43 percent on July 31 to 26 percent on Sept. 4, it was still a crisis situation.
"The late rains are of no significant help to the farmers. The damage to the crops is already done." He said the area sown under paddy remained 1.36 million hectares, which is half the normal sown area of 2.69 million hectares. Sowing could be taken up on only 40 percent of the normal area of 8.18 million hectares. He said water levels in major reservoir also remain low.
The government feels the team’s visit has come late. It had intimated the central government as early as July 24 about the drought situation. Naidu had repeatedly urged Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to provide financial assistance.
On July 31, Andhra Pradesh declared 836 mandals, or clusters of villages, of the total 1,126 mandals in the state drought-hit. The government wants help to tide over a crisis arising out of crop loss and shortages of water and fodder.
