Central team visits Andhra areas to assess rain damage

A central government team tasked to assess the extensive damage done to crops by heavy rains in Andhra Pradesh has visited East and West Godavari districts, official sources said on Wednesday.

East Godavari District Collector D Muralidhar Reddy informed the team on Tuesday about the Rs 2,442 crore damages suffered in recent rains and floods.

Reddy gave a power-point presentation on the crop damage. The team also viewed a photo exhibition at the Collector's office in this regard.

The central team also examined the damage caused to roads by the rains and floods.

The team first visited Ravulapalem, Podagotlapalli, Jonnada and other places and interacted with affected farmers. Though paddy looks green from above, the base of the standing crop is rotten due to submergence in floodwaters for more than two weeks now.

The team also visited various flood-hit paddy fields, banana plantations, and land where vegetables and horticultural crops are grown in West Godavari district.

In Tadepelligudem mandal, the team visited Nandamuru village to examine paddy loss due to flooded Errakaluva (canal) and also spoke to the farmers.

The central officers also visited Tallapalem, Singavaram and Kamsalipalem villages in the district.

Nidadavolu MLA Srinivas Naidu apprised the team of the agricultural issues near Errakaluva and requested them to help each and every affected farmer.

On Wednesday, the team headed by Sourav Rai, is expected to meet Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy at his camp office in Amaravati.

The AP government has already informed the central team that the state has suffered damages of up to Rs 6,386 crore due to the rains and floods.