PNS|Amalapuram
The farmers bore the brunt of the Godavari floods as agriculture fields in thousands of acres were submerged in Konaseema, Eluru, EG and ASR districts. Farmers told the media that every year they suffer crop loss due to Godavari floods.
A farmer Eeshwar Rao told the media at Alamuru village that horticulture crops in hundreds of acres in Ravulapalem, Atreyapuram and Alamuru mandals were inundated in the flood water.
He said that the farmers in the area raised plantain, chilli, drumstick, papaya and cotton crops besides vegetable crops of various varieties. The plants soaked in the flood water for more than 15 days and started getting withered, he deplored.
He said that the officials saw the damaged crops from standing on the bund. They did not come to the fields to see the damaged crops, he lamented.
As per the preliminary assessment of the agriculture officials, the paddy crop was damaged in 320 acres in Konaseema district. Paddy nurseries in 54 acres were submerged in the
flood water. The farmers suffered huge losses as flood occurred when the paddy plantation was in full swing. The exact loss to the agriculture in the affected districts is yet to be assessed.
Farmers said that they lost their horticulture crops last year also as the Godavari flood water inundated their crops. The farmers urge the government to extend financial assistance so that they raise another crop in the place of withered crops.
The island villages, which were located in the river Godavari, have earned fame for horticulture crops. But the farmers of island villages face the flood menace every year. Submerging of horticulture crops in the Godavari flood water is a common phenomenon in the mandals, the farmers lamented.
Some of the small farmers take their horticulture produce, including vegetables and curry leaves, to the nearby markets on bicycles to sell. A large number of farmers are raising horticulture crops especially vegetables since they get good yields and profits. But the Godavari flood water devastated their crops, they lamented.
Sand accumulated in some agriculture fields making them unfit for cultivation. The farmers have to remove the accumulated sand before raising new crops in the place of damaged crops.
The flood water of the river Godavari receded and flood victims were going to their villages from the relief camps.
Accumulated slush and mud greeted the victims when they went to their houses from the relief camps. The flood victims were seen draining out the flood water from their houses and cleaning slush and mud from the vicinity.
