The Hindu Business Line : AP govt steps up relief work; toll touches 63

Crops in 2.32 lakh hectares were damaged, out of which 1.67 lakh hectares were paddy, with estimated production loss of 9.33 lakh tonnes and a monetary loss of about Rs 630 crore.

Hyderabad , Sept 22

THE Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, today reviewed the flood relief operations in the State and directed officials to take measures to prevent outbreak of epidemics. The toll has been put at 63.

The Government plans to write to the Union Home Minister, Mr Shivraj Patil, and the Agriculture Minister, Mr Sharad Pawar, specifying the damages to seek relief.

The Principal Secretary - Energy, Mr S.V. Prasad, briefed the Chief Minister about the corrective measures where 275 special teams have been deployed. Out of 231 mandals affected, 223 were rectified. The preliminary loss is estimated at Rs 10 crore.

According to a statement from the Chief Minister's Office, the cyclonic storm had caused power failure, resulting in disruption in water supply in Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, East and West Godavari districts. This has now been restored.

On the agriculture front, crops in 2.32 lakh hectares were damaged, out of which 1.67 lakh hactares were paddy, with estimated production loss of 9.33 lakh tonnes and a monetary loss of about Rs 630 crore.

The relief required is estimated at about Rs 328 crore. Efforts to check the overall crop loss have been initiated by educating the farmers.

The Chief Minister directed the District Collectors to prepare an action plan to accommodate all the affected families in the permanent housing scheme. He advised that all the modalities should be prepared by identifying the site and beneficiaries within a week.

The Collectors were told to be vigilant over the next three days as more inflows are likely due to heavy downpour in Maharashtra.

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