Incessant rains for the last three days caused due to a depression in the Bay of Bengal, disrupted life in the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh. Paddy and other crops were inundated in the rural areas and low-lying areas in many coastal towns were flooded.

Rivers and rivulets are in spate in the districts and people have been evacuated to relief camps.

Srikakulam district, which suffered heavy loss in the recent Phailin cyclone, has been hit hard again. So far, eight casualties have been reported from the districts.

In Guntur and Prakasam districtsthere were extensive flooding of paddy fields, cotton fields, chilli, turmeric and other crops.

In some areas, due to breaches to canals, shrimp farms also suffered losses. It is estimated that crops in 1.5 lakh hectares may have been flooded in the two districts. Paddy crop in the Krishna delta also suffered loss. If the rains stop now and water recedes in the next one or two days, the loss may be minimised, say farmers. But the cyclone warning centre in Visakhapatnam is predicting rains for the next two days.

In the two Godavari districts also, there was extensive flooding of paddy fields in the Godavari delta and also in the uplands.

The extent of damage can be assessed only after the water recedes. In Srikakulam district, authorities have sounded the flood alert as Nagavali, Vamsadhara, Bahuda and Mahendra Tanaya rivers are in spate.

Extensive flooding of coconut and cashew crops, besides paddy, has been reported. Poor drainage is said to be the major cause for the huge loss suffered by farmers in the coastal districts, as the drains are ill-maintained. The damage to paddy could be significantly reduced by improving the drainage.

The kharif paddy crop is particularly susceptible to cyclones and depressions in October/November, as it is in the ripening stage. Farmers hope the rains will abate, offering them relief.

sarma.rs@thehindu.co.in

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