Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu appealed to all engineering students to conduct a survey of crops under dry spell mitigation programme to save standing crops in four districts of Rayalaseema.

Praising the services of students during Krishna pushkaram, he said “students, intellectuals and experts should conduct a study to make Rayalaseema as a drought-free region.”

The Chief Minister, who visited Anantapuramu and Chittoor districts on Sunday and Monday, said “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 and said “rain guns would be positioned in the fields to wet the crops.”

Addressing officials through a tele conference from Kuppam in Chitoor district on Monday, the CM said that “all universities should take up dry spell mitigation as a case study. Students should study the necessity of farm ponds and usage of rain guns in drought-prone areas. The Chief Minister said officials of various departments should work with team spirit developed during Krishna pushkaram to protect the standing crops by sucessful implementation of drought mitigation progrmme using rain guns and farm ponds. He said AP should stand as a role model in implementing Panta Sanjeevani and usage of rain gun technology.”

The CM added “farmers of 15 lakh acres in Rayalaseema are ready to use rain guns and officials should supply rain guns to protect the crops. He said officials should work together at a stretch of one month to save the crops. He said public representatives and Janmabhoomi committee members should participate in the Panta Sanjeevani programme.”

The Chief Minister directed all the officials to send a detailed report to Centre on the prevailing drought conditions in the state along with deficient rain fall details. He said “agriculture, electricity and revenue officials should work in tandem to save crops. Officials should prepare an action plan on digging of farm ponds in Anantapur and Chittoor districts.”

He said that it is a “war on drought” as a dry weather brought standing crops in the four districts of Rayalaseema region.

“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 on Monday water was supplied to 44,200 acres of cultivated land in the drought-hit districts.

Also Read: Farmer earns Rs 1 for 100 kg onions

BY M. DIVYA SRI