TIRUPATI: An inter-ministerial Central team, led by Rajendra Ratnoo, Executive Director of the National Institute of Disaster Management, visited Tirupati and Nellore districts on Thursday to assess the damage caused by Cyclone Michaung.
In Nellore, the team visited Inamadugu, Leguntapadu, Cherlopalle, Pallipadu, Jagadevipeta and Kothur and observed the damaged betel vine and banana plantations. Members of the team interacted with the affected farmers and enquired about cyclone loss.
A farmer from Leguntapadu in Kovur mandal informed the team that he invested nearly Rs 70,000 on one acre of banana plantation, which was ravaged due to strong winds. Ramanamma, whose house was damaged due to heavy rains, explained her plight to the team at Kothur in Indukurpeta mandal. The team inspected the breach of the Kanupuru Canal at Pulateegalapdu in Venkatachalam mandal.
TDP Politburo member Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy appealed to the Central team to consider relaxing the NDRF criteria about payment of compensation for the paddy crop damage to safeguard the interests of affected farmers. Lemon, mango, banana and horticulture crops were badly damaged in the cyclone and aqua farmers incurred huge losses, he said.
In Tirupati, the team inspected the damaged stretch of Vonuguntapalem-Rudravaram highway in Kota, 133 KV substation, damaged electricity poles and buildings at Vidya Nagar. The Swarnamukhi river breach near Balireddypalem in Vakadu was also inspected and the crop damage in various villages of Sullurpeta mandal was studied.
The Tirupati district administration informed the team that nearly 2,450 houses were partially damaged. In all, 121 substations, 2,218 electricity poles in 496 villages, a 478 km stretch of R&B roads and a 132 km stretch of Panchayat Raj roads suffered damage. Paddy crops in more than 10,000 hectares and horticulture crops in 665 hectares were damaged, they explained. Rajendra Ratnoo said, “We will submit a detailed report on the cyclone loss to the Centre at the earliest to facilitate the provision of adequate relief.”