VISHAKHAPATNAM: Vizianagaram Collector S Nagalakshmi has said the state government is giving the highest priority to save the paddy crop in the present Kharif season.
According to preliminary information, rice crops on 10,084 acres and maize crops on 251 acres were submerged in the floodwaters following the cyclone-induced heavy rain in recent days. Vegetable crops were damaged on 3 hectares in Jami mandal, she said.
The collector assured farmers that help would be provided to them. After the receding of rainwater from the fields, the crop losses would be assessed from Dec 9, she said.
Nagalakshmi said heavy rainfall was recorded from Tuesday evening to Wednesday morning across the Vizianagaram. On average, 9mm of rain fell in all the mandals while Nellimarla, Bhogapuram and S Kota mandals recorded over one cm of rain.
She said there was no major disruption to roads and electricity supply in the district. There was no loss of life in Vizianagaram. Health camps have been set up for 21 villages under 7 primary health centres under three PHC systems in coastal villages of Pusapatirega and Bhogapuram mandals.
In Vizianagaram, out of 2,31,836 acres of paddy cultivation, 1,53,675 acres have already been harvested and 78,161 acres were still under harvesting.
Srikakulam collector Shrikesh Lathkar advised the local farmers to contact the farmers' assurance centres and report their problems. “In the fields where water has stagnated the crops have been damaged, the agriculture department should inspect and record the crop losses. If there is any loss related to government property, it should also be reported,” he told the officials.
Parvathipuram Manyam collector Nishanth Kumar said the state government would stand by the farmers. Crops were lost on 134 hectares, property worth Rs 1.50 lakh was lost, animal loss was of Rs 1.29 lakh and culverts were damaged at many places in Manyam district. 30 medical camps have been set up under 42 PHCs and CHCs in Manyam, the collector said.
District collector Ravi Pattan Shetty toured the cyclone-affected areas in the Anakapalle district. He and his team of officials inquired about the conditions in Nakkapalli and Elamanchili.
Ravi Shetty told the officials, “The situation should be explained to the people of the hinterlands and they should be sent to the resettlement camps.” He also said all arrangements should be made in the camps, quality meals should be provided to the affected people and if anyone has any health problems, they should be taken to the medical camps immediately.
Ration must be given to everyone in dire situations and this should be given even if someone did not have a card, he stressed.
