TIRUPATI/KADAPA: With the State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) recently declaring 54 mandals in five districts of Rayalaseema as drought-hit during the Kharif season, The New Indian Express interacted with farmers in Annamayya district to highlight the issues they are facing due to the lack of water. In Kalakada, a severely drought-affected mandal in Annamayya district, dwindling water resources have significantly impacted agricultural activity. With irrigation ponds and wells drying up, farmers are struggling to cultivate their lands. Known for producing tomatoes, groundnuts, and paddy, the region has witnessed a sharp decline in acreage due to unfavorable conditions. This year, farmers cultivated groundnuts in 816 acres, tomatoes on 1,427 acres, and rice in 339 acres—approximately 38% to 45% less than previous years. Consequently, farmers have been facing severe losses, particularly with groundnut yields falling short of expectations. Additionally, livestock farmers are struggling to provide fodder for their cattle.
SV Naidu, a ryot from Kalakada, expressed his frustration: “I planted tomatoes in 25 acres and spent up to Rs 1 lakh. We have seen little rain this Kharif season. The quantity and quality of my produce have also declined, forcing me to sell it at a low price.” The situation is dire in the entire Pileru constituency, with all the affected mandals identified in five Rayalaseema districts: Ananthapur, Sri Sathya Sai, Annamayya, Kurnool, and Chittoor. Annamayya district has the highest number of severely drought-affected mandals at 19, including Galiveedu, Chinnamandem, Sambeppalli, T Sundarapalli, Rayachoti, Lakkireddipalli, Ramapuram, Veeraballe, Tamballapalle, Gurrankonda, Kalakada, Pileru, Kalikiri, Valmikipuram, Kurabalakota, B Kothakota, Madanapalle, and Nimmannapalle.
Another farmer from Chinnamandem lamented, “I have 30 acres of land. However, this year we have not cultivated anything due to lack of rain. We were even forced to sow paddy in Karthika Masam for food grains, but it dried up.” To gauge the severity of the issue, agricultural officials in Annamayya district have employed scientific methods to estimate groundnut yields during the Kharif season. A recent crop-cutting experiment conducted on over six acres revealed a yield of 1,200 kg, equating to approximately 194 kg per acre, translating to only five bags of produce.
Meanwhile, in Kadapa, farmers are furious as none of the mandals were declared drought-hit. They argue that excessive rainfall and drought conditions have devastated crops, yet official statistics fail to reflect their plight. Farmers in Kadapa cultivated crops in over 37,518 hectares this Kharif season, significantly lower than the normal area of 75,189 hectares, primarily focusing on rice, groundnuts, and cotton. A senior official from the Agriculture Department emphasized the importance of declaring drought-hit mandals, noting that farmers in affected mandals are eligible for benefits such as loan rescheduling, investment assistance, and special funds for livestock feed. The CPI district secretary, G Chandra, along with farmers, condemned the government’s failure to include any mandals from Kadapa in the drought declaration list, warning of inevitable protests if the drought mandals are not announced soon.
