KAKINADA/VISAKHAPATNAM: Heavy rains induced by Cyclone Michaung inundated approximately 1.30 lakh acres of paddy in Kakinada and Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema districts.
Tuni, Yeleswaram, Prathipadu, Sankavaram, Pithapuram, Samalkot, Peddapuram, Katrenikona, Mummidivaram, Kothapeta, Razole, and other areas of the Godavari districts have been severely hit by the storm.
Kakinada district agriculture officer N Vijaya Kumar inspected the flooded fields at Thondangi and Sankavaram mandals in Kakinada district and told TNIE that paddy was cultivated in 2.03 lakh acres.
“Of the total, the crop was harvested in 1.23 lakh acres. So, paddy in around 80,000 acres was yet to be harvested,” he explained.
In the neighbouring Konasaeema district, paddy was grown in 1.01 lakh acres, and harvested in 50,000 acres. Further, the crop in 9,000 acres has been completely water-logged. It has been learnt that if the water is not cleared from the fields within three days, the crop would be damaged.
What has added to the woes of the farmers is that 47,000 metric tonnes of the harvested paddy, which was not shifted to a warehouse or a mill, has been completely drenched.
Following the downpour, water in reservoirs has reached full capacity, necessitating the release of surplus water to Yeleru, Thandava, and other medium reservoirs. Sarabhavaram in Kakinada district suffered significant crop damage after surplus water was released from a reservoir.
Roads were also completely water-logged, preventing farmers from commuting to their farms to take measures for saving their crops.
Allaying the fears of the farmers, ministers Pinipe Viswaroop and Ch Venugopala Krishna assured them that the government will take every measure possible to ensure that the standing crops are saved and discoloured paddy is also procured.
“The government will provide compensation for the crop damage,” they added.
Officials are also assessing the damage caused to various horticulture crops in Konaseema district and upland areas of Kakinada district.
On the other hand, former home minister and Peddapuram MLA Nimmakayala China Rajappa criticised the government for not releasing water in time for Kharif and Rabi crops.
Emphasising the need to cut the crop before the end of November to avoid damage, he demanded the State government to pay Rs 30,000 per acre as compensation for farmers.
‘Will ensure millers purchase damaged paddy’
VIJAYAWADA: Minister for Civil Supplies Karumuri Venkata Nageswara Rao assured that steps will be taken to ensure that millers purchase paddy without any restrictions on moisture content. He visited the cyclone-affected paddy fields at Pamarru, Gudur, Bandar, Pedana, and Bantumilli on Wednesday and asked the farmers not to be disheartened. He assured them that the government will procure paddy sans restrictions. He further directed the officials to provide black gram seeds on a subsidy to the farmers.
At first, he visited Gopavanipalem in Pydimukkala and Kondiparru of Pamarru mandal, where he interacted with farmers and later visited Tarakaturu in Gudur mandal, Sultan Nagaram, Arisepalle in Bandaru, Arthamuru and Basinapadu villages in Bantumill mandal and inspected the paddy kept for drying.
Assuring that the government will support farmer who suffered losses during the cyclone, the minister said, “Enumeration teams will visit each and every village, take note of the losses and paddy situation, and estimates will be submitted to the government. Farmers will be provided crop insurance and input subsidy to cover up for their losses. Irrespective of moisture content, paddy will be procured.”
He said till date 1.37 lakh MT of paddy has been procured while another 1.10 lakh MT paddy has been procured offline. Till date, Rs 1,070 crore has been paid to the farmers for paddy procurement, he added and asserted that payments are being made sans delay and measure will be taken to clear the amount in two-three days.
Three feared drowned in Alluri district
Three persons have been missing after they were washed away while crossing the Luvva Gedda (stream) at Seethapadu village in Alluri Sitarama Raju district.
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has launched a rescue operation to trace the missing persons - Gemmala Lakshmi (52), Miriyala Kamala (40), and Gemmala Kumar (25). They are yet to be found.
ASR district Collector Sumit Kumar told TNIE that the three individuals disregarded warnings and attempted to cross the stream.
People urged to refrain from visiting tourist spots
“There are 100 streams in the district. There has been a significant increase in water flow to these streams over the past two days due to the heavy rainfall. We had declared holidays for educational institutions, instructed officials to step up vigilance at all ghat roads and advised locals to be cautions. Unfortunately, the three individuals disregarded warnings and attempted to cross the stream.”
Further, Kumar urged tourists to refrain from visiting tourist destinations until the rains recede and the weather condition stabilizes. “The district has received substantial rainfall, and the forecast indicates the possibility of light rain over the next two days. Considering these conditions, popular tourist spots such as Borra Caves, all waterfalls and viewpoints will remain closed for the next two days,” he said.
The district collector also declared Thursday as holiday for all educational institutions.
Nellore aqua farmers in a fix
dverse weather conditions under the influence of Cyclone Michaung served an intense blow to aqua farmers, especially shrimp rearers, in Tirupati and Nellore districts.
The farmers expressed that the sudden drop in temperature during the day could affect the survival rate of the shrimp and make them vulnerable to the highly-contagious spot syndrome.
Aqua culture depends on aerator motors, which help in oxygenating the water in the shrimp ponds. These aerator motors require uninterrupted power supply. Due to the torrential rains and gales, electricity supply was disrupted in the region, further affecting oxygen supply to the shrimps.
Aqua culture is practised in nearly 60,000 acres in 10 mandals of Nellore district and 90 to 95% of the produce is exported. The quality of shrimps varies based on the availability of sunlight and oxygen.