Disaster Management

The name Nandyal is from the word “Nandi Alayam”. This place is approximately center point of nine Nandi temples, and it has been as important pilgrimage site since the days of the Vijayanagar Kingdom owing to its nine Nandi temples.Nandyal District lies between the northern latitudes of 150 27’’ 49’’ and eastern longitudes of 780 28’’ 43’’. The altitude of the district varies from 100 ft above the mean sea level. This district is bounded on the north by Krishna rivers as well as Mahabubnagar district of Telengana State, on the south by Kadapa and Anantapur Districts on the west by the Kurnool district and on the east by Prakasam District.

Cyclone, Floods, drought and heat wave are the major natural hazards prominent in the district. Real-time monitoring and early warning systems to be put in place and ensure disaster management awareness and evacuation strategies are common knowledge in the disaster-prone mandals. Flood warning issued by the Indian Metrological Department has to be disseminated by the State Government to all districts and mandals in a timely manner. Management of Heat wave related deaths is crucial for the district and can be carried with the assistance of Andhra Pradesh State Development Planning Society during critical times.

Nandyal District lies in the Rayalaseema region of AP and has been identified as generally drought prone. While approximately more than 50% population of the entire district lies in moderate drought risk zone, one mandal has been identified as severe drought prone. Drought is slow onset disaster and is difficult to demarcate onset and end date. Drought does not cause any structural damage but results in crop failure, increase in energy consumption to pump water, health risks, increased unemployment, increased poverty, distressed sale of assets and distress migration.

General measures to mitigate drought include increasing the area under cultivation for production of fodder to curb shortage of fodder, creating water conservation structures such as farm ponds, check dams, alternate employment generation type to reduce rely on water. In the short term, rescheduling of need and digging of agriculture and allied activities, arrangement of water tankers to rural areas in case of need and digging of agriculture bore wells by paying due compensation have to be considered. To mitigate the fodder problem in the district the programmes like urura pasu Grasa Kshetralu, Silage distribution to the cattle @Rs.2/- per Kg. and establishment of Gokulams.