Andhra Pradesh: Cyclone Phethai weakens after damaging crops

After Cyclone Phethai made a landfall in Andhra Pradesh on Monday, significant damage to the standing crops was reported from Dariyatippa village of the state.

Nalla Chandra, a farmer residing in the village, told ANI: "I laid 5 acres of paddy and invested almost Rs 1 lakh. From the past two days, it has been raining. We could not cut the crop on time. In my field, I have lost almost everything. We are now pulling out the remaining crops and checking if anything can be saved. I took loan for sowing the crops and am worried how I will repay it."

Another farmer, Arjunarao, also narrated his ordeal saying: "We have three acres of land and had sowed paddy. We were about to cut the crop but the heavy downpour destroyed everything. Two days of incessant rain damaged the crop. More than half of the crops are damaged. We incurred almost Rs 40,000 loss. I and my family members are trying to dry out the remaining crop, to see if anything can be saved."

Nagamani, a woman farmer also complained that the untimely rainfall has caused lot of damage to her crops and now her family is also facing trouble to repay the loans. "We invested almost 70000 rupees. If we can manage to dry up the yield, barely one-third of paddy may be recovered. We have to see how much the government will help us," she added.

According to the India Meteorological Department, the Deep Depression over Coastal Andhra Pradesh moved nearly northwards on Tuesday with a speed of 11 kilometres per hour. It has weakened into a depression and lay centred at about 20 kilometres north-northwest of Tuni.

The forecasting agency also added that the cyclone is likely to move north-north eastwards and further weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area.