Floods damage crops of 71,796 farmers and 2,405 km of roads in Andhra Pradesh; Godavari rises again
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A farmer showing the damaged paddy due to heavy rain at Gopalapuram village in Parvathipuram-Manyam district. | Photo Credit: V. RAJU
The recent heavy rains induced by the deep depression over the Bay of Bengal have the Godavari Delta and Godavari Valley bracing for floods for the second time within six days as Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage at Dowleswaram in Rajamahendravaram continued to receive more than 9.7 lakh cusecs of floodwater by Monday.
According to initial estimates, the rains damaged horticultural crops in over 1,734 hectares and agricultural crops in around 44,029 hectares.
Agriculture Minister K. Atchannaidu said horticultural crops were affected in 89 mandals and 351 villages across 14 districts in Andhra Pradesh. According to preliminary estimates prepared by the Agriculture Department, crops in 1,229 villages across 190 mandals were damaged, affecting an estimated 71,796 farmers.
Roads & Buildings Minister B.C. Janardhan Reddy said an estimated 2,405 km of roads were damaged across the State, with the preliminary restoration cost being put at ₹1,498.30 crore. The greatest extent of damage was reported in Srikakulam district, where 412 km of R&B roads were affected, he said.
With the water from the Sabari and the Sileru rivers flowing into the Godavari following heavy rainfall in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, the inflows at Dowleswaram have been on the rise.
In Polavaram district, which is nestled between the Sabari and the Godavari, flood alerts have been issued for 171 villages. “As many as 55 motor boats and eight launches are kept ready at Kunavaram and V.R.Puram for relief operations. By Monday, 17 habitations have been submerged,” said Integrated Tribal Development Agency Project Officer Subham Nokwal.
In Dr. B.R.Ambedkar Konaseema district, island villages have been advised to vacate and avoid crossing the Godavari on traditional boats.
In North Andhra, floodwaters are slowly receding in several villages of Srikakulam district. Crops in Santabommali, Polaki, Meliaputti, Jalumuru and Burja villages were inundated by the floods in Vamsadhara, Nagavali, Bahuda and other rivers. The total loss would be around ₹150 crore. At Allina in Burja mandal, paddy fields in 1,100 acres have been damaged.
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