The Deputy Chief Minister, Pawan Kalyan, stated that the Cyclone Montha caused damage to crops in 1.38 lakh hectares in the state. Of this, 46,000 hectares were damaged in Krishna district. He said as many as 56,000 farmers are affected due to crop damage and that the government would support them.
Pawan Kalyan toured Avanigadda constituency in Krishna district on Thursday and inspected the damaged fields. He personally went to RCM Church in Ismailbegpet, Kodur mandal, where paddy crops raised by 15 tenant farmers over 33 acres were completely destroyed in the cyclone.
The Deputy Chief Minister waded into the fields, which were filled with knee-deep water and mud, to interact with the farmers. He discussed the crop damage with Kota Ramachandra Rao, Ramesh, Venkateswara Rao, and Nageswara Rao and gathered details of their losses.
Pawan Kalyan interacted with farmers, small traders, and villagers at Kodur, Avanigadda, and Challapalli mandals to understand the difficulties they were facing. He went through a photo exhibition showing the extent of crop damage caused by the cyclone.
District Collector D.K. Balaji gave a report to Pawan Kalyan on the relief operations and the preventive measures taken before the landfall of the cyclone. The Deputy Chief Minister reviewed the performance of the electricity, fisheries, and animal husbandry departments, assessing property losses and emergency responses.
Later, Pawan Kalyan addressed the media and said that advance preparation had helped reduce the cyclone's impact. He said districts were kept on alert 24 hours a day by monitoring RTGS to minimize the damages the cyclone might cause.
He said that during the previous governments, less efficiency in the handling of cyclones caused more problems. He appreciated Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for guiding the administration with clear directions continuously and maintaining preparedness in all departments.
As a precautionary measure, 1.16 lakh people from the flood-affected and coastal areas were shifted to rehabilitation centers. Before going back home, each family will be provided with essential commodities and Rs. 3,000.
A total of 1,583 villages were severely affected. To control the outbreaks of diseases, 21,055 personnel have been deployed for chlorination and sanitation work in the affected areas. The relief operation is being conducted on an urgent basis.
The reconstruction of the Uttamonda–Gollamanda road, which was damaged by sea erosion in the Uttamonda islands, has been allocated Rs. 13.08 crore by the government. The tender process is over, and the construction will start soon.
Apart from this, the damaged outfall sluice on the Kodur seawall will be rebuilt with the assistance of NABARD. Pawan Kalyan announced plans to revisit Diviseema to inspect the erosion-prone areas and implement permanent solutions.
Avanigadda MLA Buddhaprasad thanked him and said that several problems persisting in the Diviseema area were being resolved through the initiatives of Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan. Ministers Kollu Ravindra, Vasamsetty Subhash, MP Balashouri, RTC Chairman Konakalla Narayana Rao, and others accompanied Pawan Kalyan during his visit.
In another incident, four shepherds who took 910 sheep to sand dunes in Patha Upakali Lanka near Sangameswaram village, Nagayalanka mandal, were stranded during the cyclone. After receiving the information, veterinarian Dr. Mounika reached the site by boat and carried out rescue and relief operations. Pawan Kalyan applauded Dr. Mounika's commitment to work and praised her for performing her duties responsibly in bad weather conditions.
