A.P. declares 163 more mandals as drought-hit

The State Government on Saturday declared 163 mandals in nine districts as drought-hit. In October, the Government had declared 196 mandals as drought-hit. With the latest addition, the total number of drought-hit mandals in the State during the kharif season now stands at 359.

The district collectors of nine districts had submitted reports requesting the Government to declare 166 mandals as drought-affected across the State. Accordingly, a committee was constituted and after scrutinising the reports during a high-level meeting on November 18 and 20, 163 mandals were identified as eligible.

The collectors were directed to take necessary action and notify the specific mandals or/specific areas in the mandal in the district gazette to enable farmers to avail credit facilities and to take up relief operations.

Further, instructions have also been issued to the collectors to ensure deletion of the notified municipal or urban areas and areas falling under permanent assured irrigation sources. Urban mandals which are not declared as drought-affected would be treated on par with drought-affected mandals for the purpose of drinking water.

Earlier, 196 mandals in seven districts, including Kurnool, Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa, Prakasam, Nellore and Srikakulam were declared as drought-affected mandals during the southwest monsoon, 2015. The district-wise number of droubht-hit mandals are: Prakasam (35), Guntur (26), Anantapur (24), Nellore (19), Kadapa (18), Chittoor (16), Krishna (14), Srikakulam (8), Vizianagaram (3).

With the latest addition, the total number of drought-hit mandals in State now stands at 359

• Kharif crops or monsoon crops are domesticated plants cultivated and harvested during the rainy (monsoon) season in the South Asia, which lasts between April and October depending on the area. Main kharif crops are millet and rice.
• Rabi crops or Rabi harvest are agricultural crops sown in winter and harvested in the spring in the South Asia. The term is derived from the Arabic word for "spring", which is used in the Indian subcontinent, where it is the spring harvest (also known as the "winter crop")

Source :- The Hindu,22-Nov-2015