Removal of uprooted trees became a big task

-Launched work only in three mandals
-Farmers of other mandals ready invest on their own
-Four months required to remove all trees : DWMA PD

Srikakulam: Removal of uprooted trees due to Titli cyclone is became a big and tough task. More than 10 lakh coconuts, mango, cashew, drumstick, teak and other trees damaged due to cyclone in all seven Uddanam mandals Itchapuram, Kanchili, Kaviti, Sompeta, Mandasa, Palasa and Vajrapukotturu. Removal of uprooted trees from their fields is impossible to farmers at their own costs. 

After thinking about it Chief Minister, N.Chandra Babu Naidu assured to remove it at the cost of government under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) which is central government scheme. District water resources management agency (DWMA) is an implementing agency at district level which started trees removal. Along with DWMA, state disaster response force (SDRF) and fire department teams are involving in removal of trees. Without removal of trees from the fields it is impossible to start new crop.

But lack of proper power cutting machines, earth movers, workers trees removing process going on slow pace and not started the removing exercise in all mandals at once. ‘I lost coconut trees in my four acres extent of land and trees yet to removed due to delay I started cutting of trees as logs at my cost’ Bhuvaneswar Panigrahi a farmer of Baruva in Sompeta mandal told The Hans India.

Other farmers, Dunna Gurumurthy, Ramachandra Panigrahi, Anand Panigrahi, Prakash Babu Panigrahi, Teppala Kodanda Ram, M.Krishna Veni of Baruva, Baruvapeta, Gollagandi, PalleGollagandi villagers in Sompeta mandal explained the same problem. Delay in removal of trees causing another loss to us to start new crop and to start works the farmers worried.

‘We are removing trees phase wise basing on availability of machinery, man power’ project director (PD) of DWMA, Hanumanthu Kurma Rao told The Hans India. We have removed 1.50 lakh trees in Kaviti, Vajrapukotturu and Mandasa mandals out of total damaged 4.50 lakh trees PD added. We will remove trees in other mandals later and another four months time required for it PD elaborated.