CPI State secretary G. Eswaraiah has urged Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to immediately declare as drought-hit all the affected mandals in Andhra Pradesh in view of the severe rainfall deficit caused by El Niño conditions.

In a letter to the Chief Minister on Wednesday, Mr. Eswaraiah said the State had received only 104 mm of rainfall against the normal 225 mm, resulting in a 56% rainfall deficit. He claimed that 21 of the 26 districts and 249 mandals of 608 were facing severe drought conditions.

He said kharif cultivation had been taken up in only 16.35 lakh hectares against the normal 30.84 lakh hectares, with crops such as paddy, cotton, groundnut, red gram, maize and tomato, besides horticultural crops, suffering extensive damage due to inadequate rainfall.

The CPI leader sought free distribution of alternative crop seeds, restoration of the free crop insurance scheme with the government bearing the entire premium, and extension of the crop insurance enrolment deadline till August 31.

He also urged the government to implement relief measures, including farm loan waiver, a monthly pension of ₹10,000 for farmers above 50 years of age, ₹10 lakh ex gratia to families of farmers who died by suicide, issuance of identity cards to tenant farmers, ₹10,000 crore for irrigation canal restoration, suspension of bank loan recovery, immediate launch of MGNREGS works, supply of fodder and drinking water, reduction in agricultural input prices, creation of a support fund for tobacco farmers, fixation of a minimum support price for shrimp, and withdrawal of the fertilizer app.

Mr. Eswaraiah appealed to the State government to take urgent measures to mitigate the impact of the drought and safeguard farmers’ livelihoods.

Published - July 29, 2026 06:30 pm IST