Down south, some need water, many lost to floods
government) has also failed to maintain dams. This is the reason we are facing the issue now,” Ranganathan said.
The public works department (PWD) had sent a proposal to both the Centre and the state government to strengthen and restructure the Anicut Canal, which provides water to Chellappan’s village, at an estimated cost of ~2,264 crore.
But the work could not start because the state has not sanctioned the initial funds even though the Centre accepted the proposal, a PWD official said requesting anonymity.
Tamil Nadu food minister R Kamaraj claimed the de-silting works were executed properly and accused the opposition of levelling allegations without evidence. In neighbouring Karnataka, the southern, coastal and hilly regions have received good rainfall. But the northern region has not had much rain. This has resulted in lower sowing in the Kharif season.
Raichur has recorded 51% deficit rainfall. The northern Karnataka, on the whole, has seen a 27% deficit rain. In southern Karnataka, Kodagu district recorded very heavy rainfall that resulted in landslides and death of 17 people.
Raichur joint director (agriculture) Chetana Patil said so far sowing has happened only on 53% of the 3,55,000 hectares in the district. “Even if the rains pick up in the next month, as the monsoon stretches till September, it will be too late for the farmers here.” She said the sowing can reach maximum of 60% of the targeted area by September end.
Veeresh, a Raichur farmer, blamed the government’s failure in removing silt from Tungabhadra Dam and completing the upper Krishna project for the situation. He said Raichur is located between the Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers.
He said it should ideally have not faced such a situation especially when both rivers had seen good inflows because of heavy rainfall in the hilly regions of Karnataka and Maharashtra.
“If silt is removed from the Tungabhadra dam, an additional 32 tmcft of water will become available. But this was never done. The apathy of the administration and the political class as a whole is completely responsible for this pathetic condition of the people here,” said farmer Maruthi Manpade.
In Andhra Pradesh, six of the 13 districts are facing a droughtlike situation. Four Rayalaseema districts (Kadapa, Chittoor, Anantapur and Kurnool), and two south coastal districts (Prakasam and Nellore) are among the worst hit. As many as 120 mandals in Srikakulam, East and West Godavari have faced flooding because of excess rainfall. Crops worth ~600 crore have been lost because of the flooding.