AP declares 456 tehsils in 15 districts as draught-hit

Andhra Pradesh government on Monday finally declared 456 mandals (tehsils) in 15 districts of the state as drought-affected owing to inadequate rainfall this season, even as opposition parties said more than 750 mandals were adversely affected.

Andhra Pradesh government on Monday finally declared 456 mandals (tehsils) in 15 districts of the state as drought-affected owing to inadequate rainfall this season, even as opposition parties said more than 750 mandals were adversely affected.

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While the main opposition Telugu Desam Party said that standing crops in over 37 lakh acres dried up due to deficient rainfall and power crisis, the government has not yet come out with an official estimate in this regard.

The state Cabinet, which met here late this evening under the chairmanship of chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, approved the recommendations of the respective district Collectors and announced the list of drought-hit mandals as per the Manual for Drought Management of the Union Agriculture Ministry.

"We will obtain reports from Collectors of other districts as well and declare more mandals as drought-hit in the second phase," state Information and Public Relations minister D K Aruna told newsmen after the Cabinet meeting.

The Anantapur district topped the list with all of its 63 mandals declared as draught-hit followed by Nalgonda with 52 and Karimnagar with 50.

Out of the 15 districts, six are in Telangana region, four in Rayalaseema and the rest in coastal Andhra.