Standing crops on roughly half a million hectares may have been badly damaged due to torrential rains in the wake of Nilam cyclone, according to preliminary estimates by officials. However, a more accurate assessment will be possible only after the waters recede completely. The crop loss has been very heavy in three districts — East Godavari, West Godavari and Krishna. Till now, 25 casualties have been reported.

According to East Godavari District Collector Neetu Prasad, standing paddy crop on almost 1.5 lakh hectares and cotton crop on 11,000 hectares has been damaged. Paddy crop in the Godavari delta as well as the uplands was damaged but the damage is more in the delta, according to sources. Farmers in the Konaseema area of East Godavari district are particularly despondent, as it is a crippling blow to them after the crop holiday which they observed last year.

In West Godavari district, the damage to the paddy crop and horticultural crops is of a similar magnitude and in Krishna district, crops on l lakh hectares have been ruined, according to the District Collector. In Visakhapatnam district, standing crops on 25,000 hectares have been damaged.

Poor drainage

Poor drainage facilities in the Krishna and Godavari deltas is one of the main reasons for heavy crop loss as it takes much longer than necessary for the waters to recede, even after the abatement of rains. Neglect of drainage is proving to be costly. Rice is a water-logged crop and the loss can be minimised if the Government improves drainage facilities, according to agricultural experts. Even in the uplands of the two Godavari districts and Krishna, the damage to paddy crop has been heavy this time, according to sources.

> sarma.rs@thehindu.co.in

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