Andhra Farmers Left to Face El Niño Drought Alone, Alleges YSRCP's Sailajanath
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader Sake Sailajanath on Friday accused the State government of failing to prepare a contingency plan to deal with the impact of El Niño conditions, saying farmers were being left to bear the cost of a severe drought.
Speaking to journalists, Mr. Sailajanath said the government had offered El Niño as an explanation for the crisis instead of drawing up measures to protect farmers from its effects.
He said the State had recorded a rainfall deficit of 54% to 56%, which he said had hit rain-fed crops hard, particularly groundnut, cotton and pulses in the Rayalaseema region. Although farmers had been advised to switch to alternative crops, seeds for groundnut and red gram had not been supplied, he alleged.
Mr. Sailajanath said around 3,500 acres of paddy dependent on the Nellore barrage were on the verge of drying up for want of water. He also alleged that water was not being released to irrigation projects in Rayalaseema even though the Srisailam reservoir was full.
The YSRCP leader demanded full per-acre compensation for drought losses, the restoration of free crop insurance and the reimbursement of premiums already paid by farmers. He also sought ₹7 lakh in compensation for the families of farmers who died by suicide after being caught in debt-related distress over the past two years.
In addition, he asked for nine hours of uninterrupted daytime power supply, free tanker water for citrus orchards that are drying up, and free fodder for livestock. He said a shortage of fodder was forcing farmers to sell their cattle.
Criticising the government's emphasis on developing Amaravati and attracting investment, he said, "Data centres cannot provide food."
The remark reflects a wider debate in the State over the priority given to industrial and IT investment, including large data centre projects, compared with spending on agriculture, irrigation and rural welfare. Amaravati has also been at the centre of a long-running political dispute over the State's capital.
The YSRCP is now in opposition in Andhra Pradesh after the 2024 Assembly elections, and its statements on farm distress form part of its wider criticism of the ruling alliance's handling of agriculture and irrigation.
El Niño is a periodic warming of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean that is often associated with weaker monsoon rainfall over parts of India, including Rayalaseema, where a large share of farmland is rain-fed and drought is a recurring risk. Groundnut, cotton, pulses and red gram, the crops named by Mr. Sailajanath, depend heavily on timely rainfall.
The claims made by Mr. Sailajanath are allegations. The State government's response to them was not available in the report on which this article is based, and the rainfall figures, the condition of the paddy fields and the position on water releases have not been independently verified by this publication. Readers should treat the specifics as the opposition leader's account, pending confirmation from official sources.
Farm distress and debt remain among the most pressing issues in rural Andhra Pradesh, and demands for compensation, insurance and assured water supply are recurrent themes in public debate between the government and the opposition.
Note: If you or someone you know is experiencing distress, help is available. Tele-MANAS, the national tele-mental health programme, can be reached on 14416 or 1-800-891-4416.
