Former Chief Minister and YSRCP President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said Andhra Pradesh was reeling under an unprecedented drought crisis and described the situation as not merely an “El Niño effect” but a “Yellow Nino effect” under Chandrababu Naidu’s rule, maintaining that the severity of the crisis had increased because the government failed to act despite having advance warning.
Addressing YSRCP regional coordinators and district presidents through a video conference from the party central office in Tadepalli, YS Jagan reviewed district-wise drought, rainfall deficit, irrigation and drinking-water conditions and directed party leaders to stand with farmers at the field level. He asked every district unit to study local conditions, identify farmer-specific problems and place district-wise demands before the government.
51% rainfall deficit across State
YS Jagan said Andhra Pradesh had recorded a rainfall deficit of more than 51 per cent from the beginning of the Kharif season till September 16. All districts were facing rainfall deficiency, around 628 of the 688 mandals were under rainfall stress and 332 mandals were witnessing severe drought-like conditions. Annamayya recorded nearly 75 per cent rainfall deficit, Sri Sathya Sai 66 per cent and Prakasam 65 per cent. The deficit stood at 58.5 per cent in Chittoor, around 57 per cent each in YSR Kadapa and East Godavari, 56 per cent each in Markapuram and Nandyal, 54 per cent in Visakhapatnam and 51 per cent in Ananthapuramu.
‘Warning came in February, action was Zero’
YS Jagan recalled that Chandrababu Naidu himself had spoken on February 4 about the possibility of an El Niño impact. When the risk was known months in advance, the government should have prepared alternative crop plans, arranged seed stocks, fodder, drinking water, employment-guarantee works and irrigation management, he stated. Yet rainfall deficits continued through June, July and August without a corresponding drought action plan. Alternative seeds were not kept ready, fodder was not moved to vulnerable districts and the Centre was not approached for additional employment-guarantee workdays. “This is not a drought caused by nature alone. The situation became more severe because the Chief Minister did not respond in the manner required,” YS Jagan stated.
‘Switches, Gates and Photo-Ops’
Despite clear signs of rainfall stress, the government remained occupied with switching on pumps, lifting gates and posing for photographs instead of implementing measures that could protect farmers, YS Jagan stated. Farmers who entered cultivation trusting the government’s assurances lost Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 20,000 or more per acre in investment. There was no evidence of a government working with commitment to protect farmers during the crisis, he stated.
20 Lakh Acres Left Unsown
Normal Kharif cultivation should cover around 76 lakh acres, but cultivation this season was restricted to about 56.4 lakh acres. Nearly 20 lakh acres did not even see sowing. Crops raised in cultivated areas were also badly hit. Depending on the crop, farmers lost Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 30,000 per acre. Red gram, cotton, groundnut, maize and paddy were among the major crops affected, while horticultural plantations were also drying up. YS Jagan demanded at least Rs. 15,000 per acre for farmers who could not sow and Rs. 25,000 per acre for farmers who raised crops and lost them. Around Rs. 6,000 crore should be released as input subsidy, and agricultural loans in drought-affected areas should be rescheduled.
Restore Free Crop Insurance
Farmers had been deprived of the protection of free crop insurance, YS Jagan stated. Had the YSRCP government’s free crop insurance system continued, farmers would have had protection for crop loss as well as “prevented sowing”. He demanded refund of premiums collected from farmers and immediate release of around Rs. 3,000 crore in pending crop-insurance compensation. Insurance claims relating to crops damaged in cyclones should also be cleared without delay.
Srisailam Water Was Not Used for Rayalaseema
The government failed to divert Srisailam water to Rayalaseema when the opportunity existed, YS Jagan stated. Instead of drawing water through Pothireddypadu and filling reservoirs under Telugu Ganga, SRBC and KC Canal systems in advance, water was allowed downstream for power generation. Had those reservoirs been filled when water was available, Rayalaseema farmers would not have faced the present situation, he stated, questioning the usefulness of publicity events after crops had already dried up.
Questions silence on Telangana Lifts
YS Jagan questioned why the State Government had remained silent while Telangana was constructing lift schemes upstream and downstream of Pulichintala. The government should protect Andhra Pradesh’s legitimate water share and irrigation interests rather than remain silent when those interests were at stake, he stated.
No Compromise on Polavaram
The government was compromising on the full reservoir level of Polavaram and thereby giving up storage capacity that should accrue to Andhra Pradesh, YS Jagan stated. Water from Polavaram should be supplied to the maximum extent possible through gravity. Compromising on the project’s storage capacity on one side while showcasing lift schemes on the other would cause lasting damage to farmers and the State’s irrigation future, he maintained. He also said the Pushkara and Purushothapatnam lifts had already been constructed earlier and should not be presented as new achievements merely by operating them. The focus should be on permanent irrigation security, not temporary water releases and publicity.
‘Karnataka Declared Drought, Why Has AP Not?’
YS Jagan questioned why drought-affected mandals had still not been declared despite consecutive rainfall deficits in June, July and August. Karnataka had moved earlier to notify drought-affected areas and initiate relief measures, while Andhra Pradesh had failed to do so. Delay in declaring drought would deny farmers access to crucial benefits such as loan rescheduling, input subsidy, crop insurance and additional employment-guarantee workdays, he stated, demanding immediate official notification of all eligible drought-hit mandals.
Pay Rs. 41,000 Annadata Sukhibhava Dues
Under Annadata Sukhibhava, every farmer was supposed to receive Rs. 60,000 over three years, but only Rs. 19,000 had been paid, leaving Rs. 41,000 due, YS Jagan stated. The full balance should be paid immediately. Tenant farmers and RoFR cultivators should be given the entire Rs. 60,000 that they had been denied over the three-year period, without discrimination among eligible cultivators.
Restore Zero-Interest Loans
The zero-interest crop-loan scheme should be restored and all pending benefits relating to the last three years should be paid. Crop loans in drought-affected areas should be rescheduled so that farmers become eligible for fresh credit for the next season.
Save Orchards Before They Dry Up
Permanent horticultural plantations, particularly sweet orange orchards, were drying up before farmers’ eyes after being nurtured for years, YS Jagan stated. The government should arrange tanker water to save such orchards and provide an 80 per cent subsidy on tanker expenditure. An emergency action plan was necessary to protect perennial plantations from permanent damage.
Free Fodder, and Veterinary Care
The government had failed to stock alternative seeds and fodder despite having advance warning of drought, YS Jagan stated. Fodder should now be supplied free of cost in affected districts, while drinking water and veterinary services should be ensured for livestock. Fodder centres should be established wherever required.
150 additional Employment days
With farm employment collapsing, agricultural labourers faced the threat of migration. YS Jagan demanded 150 additional days of employment from October to March in drought-affected areas. The State should immediately approach the Centre for additional workdays and identify suitable works in every village so that labourers could find employment locally instead of being forced to migrate.
Release Rs. 9,000 Crore Education Dues
Drought-hit farms and poor families should not be forced to bear additional education costs because of government arrears, YS Jagan stated. Pending Vidya Deevena, Vasathi Deevena and fee-reimbursement dues should be cleared immediately. Around Rs. 9,000 crore pending under Vidya Deevena and Vasathi Deevena should be released so that students’ education was not disrupted.
Emergency Drinking-Water Plan
The government should act on a war footing to prevent drinking-water scarcity in drought-affected regions. Villages facing shortages should receive free tanker supply, while bore repairs, restoration of local water sources and tanker deployment should be planned village-wise.
No Cuts in Farm Power
There should be no power cuts in villages and free agricultural electricity should be supplied without interruption. Borewell-dependent crops could also dry up if power supply failed at critical times, YS Jagan stated, calling for reliable and quality power supply when farmers needed it most.
Rs. 7 Lakh for Farmer-Suicide Families
Families of farmers who died by suicide due to debt and crop losses should receive Rs. 7 lakh compensation each. Eligible families should not be made to run from office to office in the name of procedures, and assistance should be extended after a transparent verification process, YS Jagan stated.
YSRCP to Launch Statewide Action
YS Jagan directed YSRCP leaders to intensify field visits and study crop loss, irrigation, drinking water, electricity, fodder and employment problems in every district. Meetings should be held with farmers at mandal, constituency and district levels, representations submitted to officials and district-specific demands prepared for the government. YSRCP would take up coordinated action at mandal, constituency and district levels and continue its campaign until farmers received compensation, input subsidy, crop insurance, loan rescheduling, free power, fodder, drinking water and employment support. YS Jagan also announced that he would visit affected regions depending on the severity of drought conditions.
