Guntur: Cyclone Gulab affects crops in 1.84 lakh acre

Guntur: Heavy rain caused by Cyclone Ghulam inundated various agriculture crops over 1,84,051 acre in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari and Krishna districts.

According to preliminary reports, floodwater inundated 49,549 acre the highest in West Godavari district, the lowest of 15,610 acre in East Godavari district.

After receding of floodwater, the agriculture, horticulture and revenue officials will conduct enumeration and assess the crop damage which will take another one week and report would be submitted to the government. The farmers whose crop will damage more than 33 per cent are eligible to get input subsidy from the government.

According to reports received by the agriculture commissioner office here, paddy fields to the extent of 49.037 acre, maize crop in 15 acre, blackgram in 239 .8 acre and other crops in 257.5 acre were flooded in West Godavari district. Crops in 40,175 acre were damaged in Vizianagaram district. Of them, paddy fields accounts for 21,997 acre, maize 12,699 acre and cotton in 4,952 acre.

Similarly, rainwater entered agriculture fields in 36,635 acre in Srikakulam district, including paddy 20,033 acre paddy fields, 14,590 acre maize and other crops in 2,022 acre.

In Visakhapatnam district, agriculture crops were inundated 20,551 acre. Floodwater damaged paddy in 18,370 acre, sugarcane in 983 acre and groundnut crop in 355 acre.

Agriculture crops were flooded in 21,531 acre in Krishna district. Sugarcane crop in 11,313 acre was likely to have been affected, paddy in 5,050 acre, balckgram in 4,520 acre in the district. Similarly, in East Godavari district, floodwater inundated in 15,610 acres.