Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday undertook an aerial survey of flood-hit Krishna and Guntur districts. Flying in a helicopter, Reddy observed the devastation left behind in places such as Nandigama, Avanigadda, Penamaluru, Mylavaram and Tadikonda constituencies.
Jagan, after taking stock of the situation, held a review meeting with department officials concerned. He directed the officials to complete crop damage estimation at the earliest and provide input subsidy to farmers so that they could use it as an investment for the rabi crop.
CM has also instructed the officials to identify people who lost crops, houses and cattle due to the floods in the remaining districts to compensate them immediately.
Meanwhile, the state government is offering free ration with five essential commodities to flood-affected people in Krishna, Guntur and Godavari districts.
In the recent heavy rains, crops in more than 67,864 hectares in eight districts were damaged — Visakhapatnam 5,435 hectares; East Godavari 29,362; West Godavari 15,926; Krishna 12,466; Guntur 381; YSR Kadapa 2,053; Kurnool 249; and Srikakulam 1,992 hectares.
The damaged crops include paddy, pulses, sugarcane, maize, ragi, cotton, ramza and tobacco in all the flood-affected areas.
Likewise, horticultural crops, including vegetables, bananas, papaya, betel vine, yam, turmeric, black gram and sugarcane, spread over 6,229 hectares have also been damaged.
At most places, the fields are inundated with water, and as it recedes, crop losses are expected to rise.
Meanwhile, the State Minister for Agriculture, Kannababu said that all the rain-affected districts are witnessing relief works in full swing. According to the Ministry's latest estimation, as many as 1.07 lakh hectares of crops have been damaged, including 13,563 hectares of horticulture and 2,974 hectares of pisciculture.
The Minister said that all the reservoirs in East and West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur districts have been filled to the brim with rainwater, adding that Yeleru reservoir received 30 tmc water and all drains originating from the reservoir were replete with copious water inflows.
Earlier, following the heavy rains which triggered floods across the state, CM Y S Jagan has written to the Union government seeking a grant of Rs 2,250 crore to take up relief and restoration works in the state.