Anantapur, Aug. 28 -- YSR Congress Party leaders Ananta Venkatarami Reddy and former Minister Sake Sailajanath on Friday said the coalition government had completely failed to respond to the severe drought gripping Rayalaseema, leaving farmers without irrigation water, drinking water or fodder support.

Addressing the media persons at the YSRCP district office in Anantapur, they said kharif cultivation in the region had been restricted to just 39-40%, groundwater levels had fallen by 12-20 metres, and milk production had declined by nearly 75% due to shortage of green fodder.

Reddy said the government had no contingency plan despite warnings over El Nino and rainfall deficit. He said Telangana had released nearly 53 TMC from Srisailam fo...