Andhra Pradesh orders power restoration and farm-loss assessment after floods
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has ordered faster restoration of electricity in rain-hit areas, free rice for fisherfolk families and an assessment of agricultural losses after heavy rain linked to a Bay of Bengal depression. Officials said upstream inflows in North Andhra continued even as rainfall subsided.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to speed up restoration of power in areas affected by heavy rain and to begin urgent relief measures in waterlogged locations. During a teleconference on Saturday, Mr.
Naidu ordered that 50 kg of rice be distributed free to each fisherfolk family that had been unable to go to sea for the previous five days. Agriculture Minister K. Atchannaidu, Chief Secretary G.
Sai Prasad and other senior officials took part in the review. The Chief Minister also instructed officials to assess agricultural losses so that compensation could be paid with assistance from the Central government. The measures followed heavy rains associated with a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal, which caused inundation in parts of the State.
Mr. Naidu said Vamsadhara water should be diverted into the Hiramandalam reservoir to make use of the floodwaters as far as possible. He also ordered that reservoirs across Andhra Pradesh be filled with rainwater.
He called for proposals to build two barrages, one upstream and one downstream of Prakasam Barrage, to impound local floodwaters. The plans are to be sent to the Centre for approval, according to the source material. Officials told the Chief Minister that there were no inflows into the Krishna and that the rise in the water level at Prakasam Barrage was caused by local floods.
They said inflows from upstream areas in North Andhra continued even though rainfall had subsided temporarily. Recent rain reduced the State’s overall rainfall deficit from 50% to 31%, officials said. Coastal Andhra’s deficit stood at 19.80%, while Rayalaseema recorded a 42% deficit.
The review focused on immediate power, food and flood-management measures, alongside the assessment required for possible farm compensation. The supplied material does not provide the number of affected villages, households or the total area of damaged crops.
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