Vijayawada: 40 lakh hit hard by Michaung
Uprooted trees following the landfall of Cyclone Michaung, in Prakasam district on Wednesday, Civil supplies minister K Nageswara Rao speaking to farmers of Kondiparru village, Pamarru mandal in Krishna district on Wednesday
Vijayawada : The severe cyclonic storm Michaung which crossed the coast at Bapatla on Tuesday has left behind a massive destruction and people are now grappling with the after-effects of it.
According to available information, a few livestock were killed, about 90 percent of the standing crop ready for harvest was damaged, around 800 km of roads were damaged and several trees were uprooted. The Chief Minister's Office said that almost 40 lakh people from 194 villages and two towns were severely affected and over 25 villages were inundated.
Farmers were the worst affected as the paddy which was lying in fields got damaged. About 50,000 hectares of crops must have been damaged. The maximum damage to crops is said to be in Krishna District.
Civil Supplies Minister Karumuri Nageswara Rao said Paddy farmers were the most affected in Krishna and NTR districts. Speaking to the farmers at Kondiparru village of Pamarru mandal and Tarakaturu village of Guduru mandal, the minister said the government will extend necessary support to them.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy held a review meeting with the officials and asked them to show empathy towards farmers and extend all possible help to them. He told officials that money should not be a constraint to help the affected farmers.
In Eluru district crops in 24,575 acres were completely inundated including 7,458 acres of paddy. The crop damage is not confined to a single district; the same situation prevails in almost all the coastal districts.
In NTR district about 11,859 hectares of paddy and other crops in 600 hectares were inundated. Horticulture crops in East and West Godavari districts, Eluru, Krishna, Guntur Prakasam, Nellore, Chittoor and Rayalaseema were badly damaged.
In Chittoor district, a cyclone wreaked havoc on standing crops in Tirupati district, witnessing substantial damage to paddy crops and horticulture plantations. As a precautionary measure, educational institutions remained closed in Visakhapatnam for the third consecutive day.
Business came to a standstill for roadside vendors, makeshift stalls and mobile eateries as they could not open their counters due to unfavourable weather conditions.