Central Teams Assess Damage Caused by Cyclone in Tirupati and Nellore Districts

Tirupati: Central teams visited Tirupati and Nellore districts on Thursday to assess the extent of damage and devastation caused by the cyclone Michaung.

One team, led by Rajendra Ratnoo, executive director of the national institute of disaster management and Vikram Singh, Joint Director of central agriculture department, inspected cyclone affected areas in Nellore district.

A team of Meena Hooda, assistant director in the Union power ministry and Rakesh Kumar, superintendent engineer from the Union roads and highways ministry, visited various places across Tirupati district.

Officials from various departments within the district administrations briefed the central teams on the damage caused by the cyclone.

The central committee first inspected the damaged roads on the Vonuguntapalem-Rudravaram highway in Kota mandal. The team later visited the Swarnamukhi river breach near Balireddypalem in Vakadu mandal and assessed the crop losses in villages across Sullurpet mandal.

The damage to the 133 KV substation, electricity poles, and buildings at Vidya Nagar were also assessed.

District officials told the central team that nearly 2,450 houses were partially damaged. There was also serious damage to 121 sub stations, 2,218 electricity poles in 496 villages, 478km of R&B roads, 132km of panchayat raj roads, and 56 municipal roads.

Agriculture and horticulture sectors suffered significantly, with more than 10,000 hectares of paddy and 665 hectares of horticulture crops damaged.

The irrigation department cited the damage to 618 local ponds, lakes and other water bodies across Tirupati district. Some 500 boats, fishing nets and related equipment were damaged during the cyclone, it was explained.

The team comprising Rajendra Ratnoo and Vikram Singh visited Inamadugu, Leguntapadu, Cherlopalle, Pallipadu, Jagadevipeta and Kothur areas in Nellore district to assess the impact on betel leaves and banana plantations.

A farmer from Leguntapadu in Kovur mandal told the team that he invested '70,000 on an acre of banana plantation but it was severely damaged by strong winds during the cyclone.

In Kothur of Indukurpeta mandal, Ramanamma narrated her plight. Her house suffered extensive damage due to the heavy rain.

The team inspected the breach of Kanupuru canal at Pulateegalapdu in Venkatachalam mandal.

Rajendra Ratnoo said, "Central teams visited nine districts and assessed the losses caused by the cyclone. We will submit detailed reports on the losses to the central government.

Agriculture, horticulture crops were affected and the fisheries and dairy sectors also suffered losses. Housing and Transco departments have also faced the wrath of the cyclone.