Disaster Management

This district derives its name from its chief town Kurnool the capital of former Nawabs, Capital of Andhra Pradesh State from 1st October 1953 to 1st November, 1956 and at present the headquarters of the district. The name Kurnool is said to have been derived form “Kandanavolu”.

Kurnool District lies between the northern latitudes of 140 54’ and 160 18’ and eastern longitudes of 760 58’ and 790 34’. The altitude of the district varies from 100 ft  above the mean sea level. This district  is bounded on the north by Tungabhadra and Krishna rivers as well as Mahabubnagar district of Telangana State, on the south by  Anantapur District on the west by the Bellary district of Karnataka State and on the east by Nandyal District. The  population with 22,71,686 People accounting for as per 2011 Population Census, while in area  with 9681 Sq. Kms.

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.

Kurnool 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.