VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has requested the Central team, which visited five drought-affected Kadapa, Anantapur, Nellore, Prakasam and Vizianagaram districts in the State, to extend drought relief of Rs 680 crore.
Interacting with members of the Central team at the Interim Government Complex (IGC) on Thursday, he said the State government, on its part, took measures for a permanent solution to the drought problem, but natural disasters continued to cause losses to the State.
The team members said they had visited 121 mandals in five districts and said the drought situation in Prakasam district is severe and alarming. Groundwater levels in Prakasam district have depleted and there is an acute shortage of drinking water and fodder in the district, they said.
Members of the Central team lauded the efforts of the State government to address the drought situation and the methods being followed in the distribution of social welfare pensions and ration cards.
The Chief Minister explained about how the State is sufferings from natural disasters. He said while cyclones and flood devastate coastal districts, Rayalaseema districts will be in grip of drought. To overcome drought, farm ponds were created in Rayalaseema, but due to scarce rainfall, water levels in the ponds did not rise as expected.
Naidu said had it not been for the Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (PLIS), even Krishna and Guntur districts would have faced drought and the farmlands would have turned barren. “Efforts are being made to complete the Veligonda project at the earliest and once it is completed, Prakasam district can be saved from the clutches of drought,” he said.
However, for all those permanent solutions to happen, Central funding is needed, Naidu said and requested the members of the Central team to make liberal recommendations to save Andhra Pradesh.
Efforts are being made to complete the Veligonda project at the earliest and once it is completed, Prakasam district can be saved from the clutches of drought
N Chandrababu Naidu, CM