Govt uses rain guns to save crops in Andhra

The Andhra Pradesh government, through its dry spell mitigation programme, used rain guns for the first time in the country. The move was made in an effort to save standing crops in four lakh acres in Rayalaseema and other parts of the state.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who is camping at Anantapur to monitor the efforts, encouraged students to participate in the programme. Nearly 1,500 students from various universities in Rayalaseema extended their services in operating the rain guns. Naidu monitored the situation from the control room set up in Vijayawada.

The government completed its mission by spraying water from available sources on 3,27,008 acres in Rayalaseema and 70,000 acres in Guntur, Prakasam and Srikakulam districts.

Farmers of Veerapuram village in Anantapur expressed happiness as they were able to save more than 70% of crops with the help of the rain guns. However, Opposition leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy countered the government’s claims.