Extensive damage to standing crops

Two lakh hectares of agriculture land has been damaged in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu

Heavy rains continued to lash Chittoor, Nellore and other districts of Andhra Pradesh bordering Tamil Nadu, throwing normal life out of gear. According to initial estimates, 2 lakh hectares of agriculture land was damaged in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Massive damage of paddy, millets, sugarcane and cotton crops is suspected.

The union ministry of agriculture is closely monitoring the situation and has sent central teams to assess the extent of damage.

In Nagapattinam district, several hundreds of acres of paddy were submerged. At Salem district, agricultural crops standing on 3,884.49 hectares suffered damages. In some areas, samba paddy farmers have complained of pest attacks in the aftermath of rain in Thanjavur district. The farmers of these areas have raised makka cholam in about 25,000 acres. With farmers awaiting harvesting season, heavy downpour has caused extensive injury to the standing crop.

Farmers from Tirupattur have said that rain caused severe damage to the standing crops, including cotton, maize, and onion.

The matter was discussed in the Parliament on Wednesday. Expressing concern over the rain fury in Tamil Nadu, members in Rajya Sabha offered to utilise MPLADS funds for relief and rehabilitation work in the state and some even announced contributions of varying amounts for the cause.

The Tamil Nadu government is doing its best and the Centre has sanctioned Rs 933 crore towards flood relief to the state. A number of members demanded that Centre should send another team to the flood-affected state for fresh assessment of the losses.

TDP's C M Ramesh said 2 lakh hectares of agriculture land was damaged in three districts of Andhra Pradesh in similar situation.

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Kanimozhi urged the Centre to send another high-level delegation to assess the situation, while demanding the flood to be declared as "national disaster".

"The situation is very bad in Tamil Nadu. Some of the areas are completely submerged. Therefore, more resources are needed to be sent there. The Government of India should declare it a national disaster," she said while speaking at the Upper House.

"Agriculture, cattle and everything have been affected. Besides, hospitals have no power; students have not gone to schools for more than 15 days; books have been washed away," said Kanimozhi.