VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday appealed to the Central Government to extend all possible assistance to Andhra Pradesh to address agricultural losses and hardships faced by people particularly the farmers due to severe drought conditions in the state. 

The Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), which visited the state to assess the prevailing drought situation, met the Chief Minister on Wednesday.

Members of the team, who toured Kurnool, Nandyal, Anantapur and Sri Sathya Sai districts in two groups on November 2 and 3, briefed the Chief Minister on their drought assessment findings.

The Chief Minister explained that while coastal Andhra Pradesh was facing the challenges posed by cyclones, Rayalaseema and several other regions were reeling under severe drought due to deficient rainfall and the impact of El Nino.

He said the assessment had provided a clear understanding of the rainfall deficit, crop losses, farmers’ difficulties and the relief measures being undertaken by the state government.

The Chief Minister informed the IMCT members that the State had received significantly below-normal rainfall this year, resulting in severe damage to Kharif crops due to prolonged dry spells. 

The situation was particularly alarming in Rayalaseema, where farmers were facing shortages of irrigation water, drinking water and fodder.

He drew the Central team’s attention to Anantapur district, which recorded the second-lowest rainfall in the country. 

The state had declared 388 mandals across 21 districts in the State as drought-affected areas and had already submitted a report seeking Central assistance after assessing the losses suffered by farmers. The Chief Minister said the state would submit a detailed report on the drought situation to the Centre within a week.

He also sought the Centre’s cooperation in providing relief measures such as rescheduling agricultural loans. The Chief Minister said groundwater levels had declined significantly due to deficient rainfall, and drilling additional borewells in several areas had failed to yield the expected results.

He stressed the need to focus on permanent solutions alongside temporary drinking water supply measures. He requested the Central Government to support the expansion of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and undertake effective water management measures, including developing and interlinking water resources in rural areas.

The Chief Minister said the state government was taking steps to provide crop insurance compensation to farmers.