Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday said floods in the Godavari river over the past week have caused damage worth Rs 600 crore in East and West Godavari districts.
He announced Rs 25,000 as compensation per hectare of crops damaged in floods in the districts, PTI reported. Paddy crop in about 11,000 hectares across the two districts, considered the rice bowl of Andhra Pradesh, were submerged in flood waters. Cotton too suffered extensive damage in about 1,300 hectares. Officials of the agriculture department said there was some chance of revival of paddy crop once the water dries up, but cotton crops were completely damaged.
Naidu conducted an aerial survey of the districts on Wednesday and reviewed the flood situation with collectors of the two districts and other officials at Rajamahendravaram airport. He said steps would be taken to address the flooding of Yerrakaluva canal on a permanent basis.
“This canal caused the major damage in West Godavari district,” he said. Causeways damaged in the flood would be rebuilt while roads in the region would be repaired at a cost of Rs 35 crore.
An unidentified official said the state government will submit a report on the flood damage to the Centre, seeking financial assistance after a complete assessment in a few days.
Godavari river in spate
The Godavari river continued to overflow on Wednesday. There was no rain on Tuesday and water level was steady at 14.3 feet at Dowleswaram barrage with an outflow of 14 lakh cusecs into the sea till Wednesday evening, reported The New Indian Express. Officials, however, are worried about the increase in water level in the river at Bhadrachalam in Telangana and heavy inflow from Sabari river.
Officials are expecting the water level in Godavari to rise again by midnight and have made preparations. “We are expecting Godavari river to become normal in another four days,” an official of the revenue department said.
Several villages in Kunavaram, Vara Ramachandrapuram, Chintur and Yetapaka in East Godavari remained cut off due to the flooding. Villages along the river course in Devipatnam mandal and several mandals in Konaseema region of the district were also marooned.
In West Godavari district, around 40 villages in Polavaram, Kukkunur, Velerupadu, and Buttayagudem remained cut off as rods were flooded.“It might take another two days for the flood in Tammileru [river] to recede and three days in Yerra Kaluva,” the official said.
The Meteorological Centre in Hyderabad has forecast light to moderate rain in Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema region over the next five days.
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