Anantapur: Farmers yet to return rain guns

Anantapur: Agriculture officials are in search of rain guns, oil engines and other material supplied last August. The authorities were also lodging complaints against the farmers who took the rain guns last year and have not returned them. The state government had introduced the innovative  rain gun concept to save crops from withering due to prolonged rain deficit. Anantapur had witnessed more than a month of rain deficit during the peak kharif season. The experiment was to save groundnut crops.

Official records say more than 5,600 rain guns and similar number of diesel engines, pipeline and other materials had been distributed. Officials recovered the material in a phased manner. However, many farmers had not returned the equipment so far. Government had spent nearly Rs 67 crore on purchasing the material. Agriculture officials approached police in Kadiri for rain guns which had not been handed over. Officials said they were preparing for the coming season and so they needed to  take back their material.