The recent untimely downpour across Andhra Pradesh shattered several regions. Several districts are flooded and the state suffered huge losses. The people of the state are suffering due to the devastating floods and several Tollywood celebrities stepped out to support the state during this tough time. All the top actors of Telugu cinema donated for the Chief Minister Relief Fund of Andhra Pradesh. Chiranjeevi, Mahesh Babu, Ram Charan, NTR donated Rs 25 lakhs each for the AP Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. Several other actors are expected to announce the funds soon.
NTR to provide Rs 25 lakh to Andhra Pradesh flood victims
NTR Junior, always known for lending helping hand for those in need, today announced Rs 25 lakh to people who are suffering from the recent floods in Andhra Pradesh.
In a tweet, the actor said, “Moved by the plight of people affected by the recent floods in Andhra Pradesh, I am contributing 25 lakhs as a small step to aid in their recovery.”
Meanwhile on the professional front, NTR will have the release of ‘RRR’ directed by S S Rajamouli in which he has shared the screen space with Ram Charan. His upcoming films will be directed by Korata Siva and Prashanth Neel.
Moved by the plight of people affected by the recent floods in Andhra Pradesh, I am contributing 25 lakhs as a small step to aid in their recovery.
— Jr NTR (@tarak9999) December 1, 2021
Crops spread over 8 lakh hectares damaged in flood-hit Andhra
Heavy rain and floods in four districts of Andhra Pradesh have damaged agriculture and horticulture crops spread over eight lakh hectares, officials said.
According to the preliminary reports from the affected districts, the crop loss is estimated to be around Rs 3,000 crore.
Agriculture Minister K. Kannababu said a detailed crop enumeration will be done once the floods recede.
The district-wise breakup of crop loss was yet to be updated but as per the district-wise information available as on November 21, Kadapa district suffered the maximum. Crops over 1,26,167 hectares were damaged in Kadapa, followed by 90,498 hectares in Anantapur. Nellore and Chittoor districts had suffered crops damage over 12,118 hectares and 9,616 hectares respectively.
Kadapa district also recorded damage to horticulture crops over 17,912 hectares. In Anantapur and Nellore districts, the extent of horticulture crops damaged were 616 and 101 hectares respectively.
Agriculture department officials said crops were washed away due to breaches in the bunds of irrigation projects like the Annamaya project and the Cheyyer reservoir in Kadapa district.
Paddy, sunflower, black gram and cotton crops suffered the maximum damage. The affected farmers said that floods destroyed the crops which were ready for harvesting. They have appealed to the government to come to their rescue.
The dairy industry also suffered a huge blow as hundreds of cattle were washed away. The state government announced that financial assistance of Rs 30,000 will be provided to the farmers in case of the death of a buffalo or a cow and Rs 3,000 in case of a sheep or a goat.
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy directed the officials to start crop enumeration and also to supply seeds at 80 per cent subsidy.
The floods triggered by heavy rain under the impact of a depression in the Bay of Bengal left a trail of destruction, claiming 34 lives while another 10 people were missing.
Over 1,300 villages were inundated due to the floods, the worst in recent years. The deluge caused widespread damage to the infrastructure and snapped vital road and rail links in the region.
The state government has announced Rs 5 lakh compensation to the family of each deceased.
Eight teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and as many of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were deployed for rescue and relief operations. Two helicopters were used for rescue operations in 19 places.
The authorities opened 294 relief camps in the flood-affected areas. About 58,000 people were evacuated from the affected areas and shifted to relief camps.
The temple town of Tirupati in Chittoor district was the worst hit by the rain and floods. The ghat roads and walkways to the famous Sri Venkateswara temple atop Tirumala suffered huge damage.
Even four days after the rains, several low-lying areas in Tirupati and its suburbs remained inundated. A similar situation prevailed in several parts of Chittoor and Nellore districts.
The authorities were air-dropping essential commodities in the marooned villages of Chittoor district on Tuesday.
The Chief Minister has directed officials to step up the relief work. He asked them to provide a compensation of Rs 95,100 and sanction a new house to those who lost their homes and Rs 5,200 to those whose houses are partially damaged due to floods.
He said the state government has sanctioned an additional Rs 10 crore each to Kurnool, Chittoor, Anantapur and Kadapa districts totalling to Rs 40 crore for relief measures.
The heavy rain and floods led to breaches in several lakes and tanks, adding to the people’s woes. The natural calamity caused extensive damage to the irrigation system, electricity poles, towers and transmission system and roads.
State, district and rural roads to a total length of about 2,000 km were damaged. As per the initial estimates of the Roads and Buildings department, Rs 800 crore is required for repair of the damaged roads and bridges.
The Chief Minister has directed the officials of Panchayat Raj and Municipal Administration Departments to finalise the tenders for permanent restoration work in the next four weeks.
Meanwhile, leader of opposition and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday visited the flood-affected areas in Kadapa district. The former Chief Minister visited a few villages in Rajampet and Nandluru mandals and interacted with the affected people.
Naidu will visit the flood-hit areas of Chittoor district on Wednesday and of Nellore district on Thursday.
Jagan focuses on relief measures, braces for more cyclonic trouble
With Andhra Pradesh brought to its knees by one of the heaviest rainfall and and flooding in recent years, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday instructed officials to be liberal and humane towards flood victims and ensure 25 kg of rice, 1 kg of daal, 1 kg of cooking oil, 1 kg of onion, 1 kg of potato and Rs 2,000 are provided to each affected family.
The official death toll due to floods has been pegged at 34 and 10 persons were reported missing till Monday.
Crops in eight lakh hectares have been damaged as per preliminary investigations while crop enumeration will be taken up once floods recede.
Taking stock of relief measures initiated by the state government through video conference on Monday, the chief minister said that every inundated household should receive compensation, and added that better facilities should be provided for those in relief camps.
State government officials have been instructed to provide compensation of Rs 95,100 and sanction a new house to those who lost their homes while Rs 5,200 is to be paid to those whose houses are partially damaged due to floods.
With the death of large number of livestock, measures are being taken to prevent the spread of diseases due to carcasses. The officials have also been told to focus on health of livestock and take up measures like vaccination on a war footing, an official said.
The state government has decided to start crop enumeration and to supply seeds at 80 percent subsidy and focus on ponds, other reservoir and embankments.
With yet another low pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, said to be heading south of Tamil Nadu, CM Reddy has directed the officials to be on high alert and be prepared to face more tough situations.
Andhra flood situation grim; CM reviews flood damage, relief measures
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday conducted an aerial survey of flood-affected areas in the state’s Chittoor and YSR districts.
On Saturday, the death toll rose to 24, while 1,316 villages have been inundated according to the authorities. With further rainfall expected, the state government has put rescue and relief support on standby mode.
Taking to the skies on Saturday, the Chief Minister reviewed the rain damage inflicted in Kadapa, Renigunta, Tirupati cities. He also surveyed the Peruru project, and Swarnamukhi river areas, along with inundated areas affected by Papagni and Penna rivers.
Arriving at Kadapa Airport, the chief minister interacted with the Navy personnel engaged in relief operations. He also spoke to local MLAs, and district authorities regarding the relief measures.
The chief minister also inspected the Veligallu and Annamayya project area which was severely damaged due to floods.
Reddy also surveyed Pincha project and the areas affected by the Cheyyeru River and other flood-prone areas.
He also directed the officials to take immediate sanitation measures in Tirupati city and prepare a master plan on the drainage system in the city to take appropriate action.
Officials said that 500 personnel have already been deployed from various municipalities for the relief operations and to clear the trash that has accumulated in the streets and blocked the drains.
The Chief Minister directed officials to speedily prepare crop damage estimates, and take up measures to support the farmers. The authorities have been tasked with providing immediate financial assistance to the flood-hit households and to assist them when they return to their homes.
The TTD chairman YV Subba Reddy said on Saturday that the hill-top temple town of Tirumala has faced the worst rain damage in three decades. He said that temple property worth Rs 4 crore has suffered damage due to the massive rains.