VIJAYAWADA/TIRUPATI: Cyclone Asani, after many twists and turns, made landfall between Machilipatnam and Narasapuram on Wednesday night after weakening into a depression, without causing any major damage in the coastal districts of Bapatla, Krishna, West Godavari, Amalapuram and Kakinada districts.
However, heavy rains under its impact that lashed Nellore, Tirupati, Chittoor, Annamaiah and Kadapa districts have caused considerable damage to road infrastructure and horticulture crops. Normal life was disrupted in these districts.
District administration of Nellore evacuated 328 people residing in low-lying areas to rehabilitation centres. Three relief camps were set up. On Thursday, heavy rainfall was reported in the northern parts of the district. Some mandals in Kandukuru division experienced more than 25 cm of rainfall in the last 24 hours.
Ulavapadu witnessed 27 cm, 25.6 cm of rainfall in Kandukuru, 19.8 cm in Atmakuru, 14.6 cm of rainfall in Sangam, 14.3 cm in Bogole, 13 cm of rainfall 13 cm, 12.3 cm in Anantasagaram, 12.2 cm in Gudluru, 11.7 cm in BR Palem, 11.1 cm in AS Pet and Voletivaripalem in Kandukur mandals.
Around 10 cm of rainfall was recorded in Dagadarthu, Jaladanki and Alluru mandals. Nellore city experienced 2.1 cm and average rainfall in the entire district was 7.6 cm. Nellore Collector KVN Chakradhar Babu visited Kotireddy Gunta and Tirupati Kunta, which faced inundation due to heavy rains for the last three days, on Thursday along with local legislator M Mahidhar Reddy.
Six mandals were affected due to heavy rains and crops in 3,024 hectares were damaged. They include cotton (1556 hectares), sugarcane(1212), blackgram (230), green gram (4), sesame (4) and maize (18)
.Heavy rains that lashed various parts for three days dashed hopes of horticulture farmers in Annamaiah and Kadapa districts. Gales and rains damaged paddy, cotton, sulfnower, millet, horticulture crops like mango, papaya, banana, lemon, turmeric, chill, sweet orange, and flowers.
Primary estimates put the crop loss at 3,370 acres, including 2,288.4 acres of agriculture crops. Agriculture department officials are readying the crop loss report for supplying input subsidies to the farmers. Several low-lying areas in Kadapa town were inundated, and rainwater entered the bus station.
As per IMD report, the cyclonic storm had weakened into a deep depression before touching the coast mainly because it entered a region with lower sea surface temperature and lower ocean heat content. "It moved very slow (5-6 kmph against normal speed of 13 kmph) near the coast and remained within 50 km from the coastline from morning to evening of 11th May," the report said.
"The slow movement led to upwelling of sea water and rainfall over the sea, leading to further cooling of sea surface. Due to slow movement, there was also land interaction for a longer time leading to weakening due to increased friction with the land surface. There was cold and dry air incursion from Indian landmass in the middle and upper troposphere which are unfavourable for maintaining the intensity of any cyclonic storm," the report added.
Krishna police rescue eight fishermen
Krishna district police and marine police rescued eight fishermen stranded at sea on Thursday. According to Krishna SP Siddharth Kaushal, Sangadi Rambabu from Uppada village of Kakinada district took a boat on rent and went fishing along with seven others on April 8. The boat developed a technical snag and lost its direction on April 9.
Students stuck, special exam centre set up
Eight students from Siddanakonduru village of Kaligiri mandal started to appear for board examination at a centre in Kavali town, but were stuck in the village as they were unable to cross the overflowing rivulet.
Upon receiving information, Collector KVN Chakradhar Babu informed the matter to Intermediate Board Commissioner MV Seshagiri Babu and appealed to him to set up a separate centre for the students. Separate centre was granted and the students were shifted to Kaligiri. The students thanked the collector.