AP CM declares "war on drought" as dry spell hits 4 districts

Vijayawada, Aug 29: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu tonight declared a "war on drought" as a prolonged dry weather has cast a severe spell on standing crops in the four districts of Rayalaseema region.

The Chief Minister, who visited Anantapuramu and Chittoor districts yesterday and today, said he will go back to Anantapuramu tomorrow and camp there "till I see all crops are saved". Chandrababu held a high-level review meeting at the Command and Control Centre here and said rain guns would be positioned in the fields to wet the crops.

The AP Transco has been instructed to ensure round-the-clock supply of power to save the crops. Ministers have been put in charge of certain mandals in Anantapuramu district while IAS officers are being deployed in each Assembly constituency to oversee the drought mitigation measures, a release from the CMO said.

Naidu also wanted college students to chip in for drought relief. "If we work efficiently for one day, productivity will improve by 10 per cent," the CM told the officials.

"It doesn't matter if we do not sleep for a day or two. We have to save the crops," he said.

Officials informed the CM that today water was supplied to 44,200 acres of cultivated land in the drought-hit districts.

PTI