CM visits flood affects areas of East Godavari

Hyderabad, Oct 31 (INN): Chief Minister N.Kiran Kumar Reddy has directed the irrigation department officials to prepare a comprehensive plan for proper utilization of water and to protect the crops from inundation in East Godavari district.

While reviewing the relief works of heavy rains in East Godavari district at the Collectorate after visiting the flood affected areas near Kakinada on Thursday, the Chief Minister said that Irrigation was a major issue in East Godavari district in order to have permanent measures to protect the crops.

He said a separate meeting would be called for at Hyderabad after 10 days involving the senior officials, Ministers and people's representatives of the district. He also asked them to study in depth and to prepare the plan, prioritising the immediate needs to discuss in the coming meeting.

Speaking on the losses to crops due to heavy rains, the Chief Minister said that the input subsidy would be given at the rate of Rs 10,000 per hectare and directed the officials for proper enumeration of crop losses.

Display of farmers list at gram panchayats and random check of 10 to 15 percent by the Collector, Joint Collector and other senior officials were some of the measures Chief Minister suggested.

He further said that Rs 143 crores were allotted to east Godavari district for input subsidy for the crops affected ,out of which Rs 87 crores was already distributed to the farmers and the remaining would be completed in the coming 10 days.

With regard to relief to the victims of heavy rains, the Chief Minister said that rice to the affected families was increased from 10 kilos per family to 20 kilos and relief to utensils and clothes was increased to Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 and for weavers for loss of loom, Rs 5,000 would be paid. He directed the officials to expedite the Godavari Modernization works which were started with Rs 1600 crores, keeping in view of the protecting the crops in the district.

In this meeting various people representatives of the district, requested the Chief Minister, to establish Irrigation designing section at Dowleswaram and to appoint Special officer for coordinating the irrigation works in the district.

They also represented for modernization of various drains for safe guarding from inundation. While explaining the losses in the district, Collector Neethu Prasad said that heavy rains of 356 mmwase reported in the distrct, 214 relief camps were arranged for 1.40 lakh affected paoele in the district and requested the Chief Minister for immediate works of Godavari flood bank repairs and Vivekanada varadhi works.

Earlier, Kiran Kumar Reddy visited flood affected paddy and cotton crops at Gollaprolu, near Kakinada and interacted with farmers on losses and assured the farmers for permanent measures for modernization of suddakonda vagu, which is casing inundation every year. He also promised them for input subsidy for the losses, basing on the enumeration of losses.