The farmland of D Prakash was a picturesque landscape spread over 30 acres with coconut trees, cashew and mango in Ramayyaputtuga of Kaviti mandal in Srikakulam district. But today, it is nothing but a debris of greenery left behind by cyclone Phailin. He has not only lost his investment of `6 lakh, but would not be able to produce any coconut for the next eight years.
“Now, my land has nothing but a few trees here and there. All the coconut trees are aged over 12, planted way back in 1999-2000 after a devastating cyclone then. They started yielding crop only four years ago. Cashew which gives good returns, is also lost,” rues Prakash. Now, only about 10 out of 60 coconut trees are left per acre.
Prakash is one among the hundreds of farmers in Uddanam area, where only organic farming is taken up. Uddanam, famous for its scenic orchards has lost its sheen following the devastation caused by cyclone Phailin. “About 40-50 percent of trees are uprooted, while the rest would soon rot in the fields flooded with rain water,” said B Rambabu, another farmer from Kaviti.
“It would take at least two to three years for the farmers to recover from losses and commence production even though the government extends some compensation,” he said.
Farmers who were forced to stay indoors on Saturday due to heavy rain and gales when the cyclone made the landfall were shaken after seeing their damaged crops. In all, about 25,000 acres of crop in 11 mandals of the district is damaged due to the cyclone. Uddanam area comprising Kaviti, Kanchili, Itchapuram, Kalingapatnam, and Sompeta experienced severe damaged due to the heavy downpour. Paddy in 7,783 hectare, coconut in 3,129 hectare, horticultural crops in 5,140 hectare are said to have been damaged.
Fishing operations too were severely affected due to the cyclone as the fishermen could not go into the sea for more than four days. “Leave the four days of restrictions due to cyclone, many of us are left with damaged boats or have no boats at all to go fishing. Fishing nets too were damaged severely. We would be able to go for fishing only after a week or so, after fixing the boats and nets,” said Kinjapu Appi Naidu, a fisherman from Iddivanipalem in Kaviti mandal. About 16 mechanised boats in Iddivanipalem and seven in Kapasuguddi village were sucked into the sea during the cyclone. Nearly 35,000 fisherman families are affected.
According to the revenue and agricultural officials, the enumeration of losses will be completed by weekend and a report will be submitted to the government.