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As rains receded after wreaking havoc across half of Andhra Pradesh for the past one week, the picture that has now emerged is much gloomier in many respects than the preceding four cyclones that hit the state since 2010.
Besides damaging houses and roads, loss to the agriculture sector is much bigger especially with regard to paddy and cotton — the two prominent crops in the state, according to official reports.
About 52 people have died and 42,071 houses were damaged in rain-related causes in about 16 of the 23 districts. Besides, 2,20,245 people were evacuated, most of them from five coastal districts of which 148,000 people alone were from Srikakulam district. The loss on account of all this is estimated to be around Rs 3,756 crore, according to the department of disaster management.
The damage to paddy and cotton crops was to the extent of 17.79 per cent and 27.89 per cent respectively of the total crop area. Paddy in about 471,000 hectares and cotton in 597,000 hectares were affected by the rains with little or no prospect of recovery.
Cyclone Nilam, which had battered the state between October 29 and November 6 in 2012, comes very close to the present situation caused due to low pressure in terms damage and spread. About 61 people had died and 30,973 houses were damaged while crop area in an extent of 889,000 hectares was damaged across 19 districts at that time. When Cyclone Phailin hit the eastern coast on October 12, Srikakulam was the only major district in the state that was affected.
In May 2010, 14 districts were affected due to Cyclone Laila. About 22 people had died, over 14,000 houses and crop area in 26,686 hectares were damaged in that cyclone. Again in October-November 2010, Cyclone Jal brought heavy rains and flooding in 13 districts affecting 500,000 families. That time 63 people had died in the state, over 20,000 houses were damaged crops in about 480,000 lakh hectares were hit.
The state has a total crop area of over 8 million hectares in the current kharif season. Of this, 11,37,391 hectares or close to 15 per cent of the total crop area got affected, the agriculture department officials said. “Most of the inundated paddy crops were either in flowering or seed setting stage and there is no hope of their recovery," Dharma Naik, additional director - agriculture, told Business Standard.
When it comes to cotton, the heavy rains had affected the crop when they were ready for second pickings, which give quality cotton as well as higher yields. The prospects of third picking are now remote as rains had damaged flowers besides bringing infestations to the crop, according to him. Kharif production targets are likely to be affected, the official said.
According to official estimates, roads in an extent of over 5,000 km were damaged mostly in 14 districts across coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema and Telangana. About 14,09 minor irrigation tanks were breached. Train tracks have been damaged with flooding and inundation at several places.
The rain-related loss this time stood highest at Rs 1,075 crore in Nalgonda district of Telangana followed by an estimated loss of Rs 712 crore in Guntur district of coastal Andhra. Prakasam, Krishna, Warangal, West Godavari and Mahaboobnagar were the other districts, which suffered maximum loss in value terms, according to the reports.
Besides damaging houses and roads, loss to the agriculture sector is much bigger especially with regard to paddy and cotton — the two prominent crops in the state, according to official reports.
About 52 people have died and 42,071 houses were damaged in rain-related causes in about 16 of the 23 districts. Besides, 2,20,245 people were evacuated, most of them from five coastal districts of which 148,000 people alone were from Srikakulam district. The loss on account of all this is estimated to be around Rs 3,756 crore, according to the department of disaster management.
The damage to paddy and cotton crops was to the extent of 17.79 per cent and 27.89 per cent respectively of the total crop area. Paddy in about 471,000 hectares and cotton in 597,000 hectares were affected by the rains with little or no prospect of recovery.
Cyclone Nilam, which had battered the state between October 29 and November 6 in 2012, comes very close to the present situation caused due to low pressure in terms damage and spread. About 61 people had died and 30,973 houses were damaged while crop area in an extent of 889,000 hectares was damaged across 19 districts at that time. When Cyclone Phailin hit the eastern coast on October 12, Srikakulam was the only major district in the state that was affected.
In May 2010, 14 districts were affected due to Cyclone Laila. About 22 people had died, over 14,000 houses and crop area in 26,686 hectares were damaged in that cyclone. Again in October-November 2010, Cyclone Jal brought heavy rains and flooding in 13 districts affecting 500,000 families. That time 63 people had died in the state, over 20,000 houses were damaged crops in about 480,000 lakh hectares were hit.
The state has a total crop area of over 8 million hectares in the current kharif season. Of this, 11,37,391 hectares or close to 15 per cent of the total crop area got affected, the agriculture department officials said. “Most of the inundated paddy crops were either in flowering or seed setting stage and there is no hope of their recovery," Dharma Naik, additional director - agriculture, told Business Standard.
When it comes to cotton, the heavy rains had affected the crop when they were ready for second pickings, which give quality cotton as well as higher yields. The prospects of third picking are now remote as rains had damaged flowers besides bringing infestations to the crop, according to him. Kharif production targets are likely to be affected, the official said.
According to official estimates, roads in an extent of over 5,000 km were damaged mostly in 14 districts across coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema and Telangana. About 14,09 minor irrigation tanks were breached. Train tracks have been damaged with flooding and inundation at several places.
The rain-related loss this time stood highest at Rs 1,075 crore in Nalgonda district of Telangana followed by an estimated loss of Rs 712 crore in Guntur district of coastal Andhra. Prakasam, Krishna, Warangal, West Godavari and Mahaboobnagar were the other districts, which suffered maximum loss in value terms, according to the reports.
