AP CM declares "war on drought" in Rayalseema region
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu yesterday 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.
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The Chief Minister, who visited Anantapuramu and Chittoor districts, said he would go back to Anantapuramu today and camp there "till I see all crops are saved".
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Chandrababu held a high-level review meeting at the Command and Control Centre here and said rain guns would be positioned in the fields too wet the crops.
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The AP Transco has been instructed to ensure round-the-clock supply of power to save the crops.
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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.
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Naidu also wanted college students to chip in for drought relief.
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"If we work efficiently for one day, productivity will improve by 10%," the CM told the officials.
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"It doesn't matter if we do not sleep for a day or two. We have to save the crops," he said.
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Officials informed the CM that water was supplied to 44,200 acres of cultivated land in the drought-hit districts.