Enumeration of crop loss underway in flood-hit areas

Vijayawada: The recent Krishna river floods caused huge loss to the horticulture farmers in Diviseema region and other mandals of the district. The enumeration teams appointed by the government noticed that banana, vegetables, turmeric and elephantfootyam (kanda), betel vine crops were damaged due to inundation.

Eight lakh cusecs of flood water was released from Prakasam barrage last week. The farmers have no scope to save the crops as flood waters inundated. The horticulture department has formed 10 teams for the enumeration in the flood affected mandals.

These teams, along with the staff of revenue, agriculture and other departments, are visiting the flood affected areas in 12 mandals along the Krishna river. The visiting teams have noticed the crops were totally damaged due to the stagnation of flood water for five days and there is no scope of recovery.

Assistant Director of Horticulture, Vijayawada division, B Dayakar has said the government would pay compensation to the flood hit farmers as per the norms. He said the horticulture crops were damaged in nearly in 5000 hectares as per the preliminary estimations. Most of the crops damaged are found in Diviseema, Thotlavallur, Challapalli, Pamidimukkala and other mandals.

The horticulture farmers had been facing many hardships and suffered loss for the last four years due to deficit rainfall. This year, the farmers were happy with the recent rains and hoped they can get good harvest.

Unfortunately, their crops were damaged due to the floods.These crops are cultivated in the black soil and farmers spend over Rs.70,000 per hectare on banana crop, Rs.90,000 on turmeric crop per hectare and not less than Rs.90,000 for cultivation of elephant foot yam. (Kanda)

The government would pay compensation to the flood affected farmers, saidCh Srinivasulu, Assistant Director of Horticulture, Nuzvid division. Banana farmers will get compensation of Rs.25,000 per hectare, turmeric farmers to get Rs.15,000 per hectare and betel vine farmers Rs.75,000 per hectare. But, it will take time.