Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has requested the Central team that met him on Friday after visiting the drought-hit areas in the State to allocate ₹238 crore towards relief measures in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Prakasam, and Chittoor districts. He expected adequate financial assistance to be extended to the permanent drought mitigation measures being taken by Andhra Pradesh. Mr. Naidu said Andhra Pradesh had been losing heavily due to drought for many years as the climate played spoilsport. He pointed out that the coastal areas were frequently battered by cyclones while Rayalaseema bore the brunt of drought.
It was a peculiar situation faced by the State and if it was to effectively deal with the calamities, the Central Government should extend a helping hand.
The Chief Minister observed that the Krishna and Guntur districts would become parched had the Godavari water not been brought to the Krishna delta through the Pattiseema project.
He appealed to the visiting officials to present a realistic picture of the drought prevalent in AP to the Central Government to enable it to mobilise the maximum possible support.
