Andhra Pradesh estimates Rs 8,000 crore loss due to damage by floods

Andhra Pradesh has suffered agricultural and infrastructural damages worth Rs 8,084 crore in the recent heavy rains and floods.

"The estimated loss is about Rs 8,084 crore, of which Rs 5,000 crore occurred due to infrastructure damages. Also, agriculture and allied sectors suffered flood damage of Rs 3,000 crore as incessant rains occurred right before the harvesting period," said a government statement.

On Wednesday, the Central government team which visited five districts to assess flood damages in the southern state called on Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

For the last two days, the team toured flood-affected East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur and Anantapur districts.

On a request from Reddy, the team visited Anantapur, considering the groundnut crop was extensively damaged.

Reddy requested the team to help as much as possible on humanitarian grounds to cope with the damage.

He asked the team to relax frequently asked questions while buying damaged crops from farmers as they may suffer even bigger losses.

The Chief Minister explained to the central officers that the state government has been providing input subsidy to farmers to cover up losses in the same crop season, even as the subsidy for Kharif losses between May and September has already been paid.

Reddy appealed to the team to compensate the flood damages as soon as possible.

He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for deputing a central team to Andhra Pradesh.

--IANS

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