Hyderabad: Alleging that 70 cotton
farmers have committed suicides in Andhra Pradesh during July
and August due to severe drought conditions, BJP today
demanded that the state government initiate relief measures on
a war-footing.
State BJP president B Dattatreya, who toured several
drought-hit districts in the state, told reporters that
rainfall in many districts has been far below normal and that
standing paddy, cotton, mirchi, red gram, sunflower and
groundnut crops have gone dry.
He claimed that at least three cotton farmers were
ending their lives every day on an average and about 70
farmers have committed suicides in July and August.
Districts of Nalgonda, Krishna, Khmmam, Guntur and
Prakasam have been facing acute shortage of drinking water and
fodder and livestock face the threat of death, Dattatreya
said.
In Rayalaseema districts of Chittoor, Anantapur,
Kadapa and Kurnool, crop area of groundnut has come down from
35,50,000 acres to 10,86,000 acres, he said.
"Under these contions, it is surprising as to why the
Chief Minister is not declaring the state as drought-hit.
This is leading to more suicides," he said.
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, August 14, 2009, 20:22