Flooding submerges 30,000 acres of farmland in Andhra Pradesh district

Flooding has submerged nearly 30,000 acres of farmland in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district after two days of torrential rain and large water releases from three river projects. More than 12,000 people living in low-lying areas were evacuated on Friday morning, according to the report. Officials said the situation was under control, while paddy fields were damaged by continuing inflows from the Nagavali, Vamsadhara and Bahuda river catchments.

A deep depression over the Bay of Bengal crossed the north Andhra Pradesh coast near Kalingapatnam in Srikakulam during the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. The resulting rainfall contributed to increased inflows into the river systems. Irrigation officials released 66,900 cusecs of water from the Narayanpur anicut on the Nagavali River on Friday afternoon after receiving a similar quantity from upstream.

They also released 41,425 cusecs from the Gotta barrage on the Vamsadhara River and 35,656 cusecs from the Bahuda River project. The flooding affected farmland in Burja, Amadalavalasa, Srikakulam, Narasannapeta, Polaki, Santabommali and Kotabommali mandals. Paddy crops were among those reported damaged.

Agriculture Minister K. Atchannaidu visited affected villages and assured farmers that the government would provide compensation for flood-related crop losses. He said teams of agriculture officials would begin assessing the damage in the next few days.

Srikakulam Collector Swapnil Dinakar Pundkar and Superintendent of Police K.V. Maheswar Reddy visited Allena village in Burja mandal. They said arrangements had been made to provide shelter and food to affected residents for the next few days.