Exodus triggered by drought,rains, relief delay

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posted on 12 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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GUNTUR/ONGOLE: Drought conditions in Guntur and Prakasam districts are forcing small farmers and agricultural labourers to migrate..

GUNTUR/ONGOLE: Drought conditions in Guntur and Prakasam districts are forcing small farmers and agricultural labourers to migrate to other places in search of livelihood. Migration of farm labourers from the two districts continues despite the tall claims of the state government over providing work under the Centresponsored National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS). Delay in the promised relief from the government for crop damage is resulting in migration.
According to a socialeconomic survey (SES) conducted by the Central government, as many as 4,000 families from 29 gram panchayats in Kanigiri mandal of Prakasam district migrated to Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Khammam, Kurnool and Nizamabad, and Surat in Gujarat, in search of livelihood.Chepalamadugu village of Pullacheruvu mandal, Vuyyalavada of Giddaluru mandal, Sukesula Peddaraveedu mandal, Jellivari Pullalacheruvu in Bestavaripeta mandal and some villages in Kandukuru urban and Giddaluru rural were reeling under severe drought conditions. About 75 to 80 percent of people at these places migrated to other areas.

The Ongole region APSRTC is running special services to Chennai, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Nizamabad from Kanigiri, HM Padu, CS Puram and some other mandals in view of the largescale migration of people.

It is a similar story in Guntur district too, as 41 mandals had been declared as droughthit against the total 57 mandals in district. There has been a steep increase in the number of people migrating to other places from Palanadu area.

Speaking to Express, District Water Management Agency, project director, Prakasam district, N Ramesh Kumar, said they were preparing an action plan to provide employment under NREGS in all the droughthit mandals with an estimated Rs 373 crore worth of works to be taken up.