The first spell of rainfall due to cyclone Vardah was recorded in the coastal town of Machilipatnam, leaving the farmers to worry about the standing paddy crop sown in nearly two lakh hectares in the Kharif 2016 season.
Farmers in the Eastern Krishna district have suspended paddy harvesting in the wake of cyclone Vardah that is very likely to bring more rains soon after it makes landfall by Monday afternoon.
The Visakhapatnam Cyclone Warning Centre on Monday morning predicted that a wind speed of 50 to 60 kilometre per hour was expected in the four coastal districts of South Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Nellore, Prakasam, Guntur and Krishna districts.
It is learnt that the standing paddy crop would be badly affect due to winds than rains. Of the nearly two lakh hectares of paddy sown in the Krishna district at least ninety per cent of the crop is yet to be harvested.
Preparedness measures
The Krishna District authorities on Sunday identified at least 50,000 families along the coastline of Machilipatnam for evacuation, based on the weather condition by Monday evening.
“We have taken all the preparatory measures to provide shelter to the people of 30 coastal villages in the Krishna district. Special officers have been deputed in the four mandals of Machilipatnam, Krithuvennu, Koduru and Nagayalanka to keep an eye on the situation” Machilipatnam Divisional Revenue Officer P. Saibaba told The Hindu .
On the other hand, the police have closed the Manginapudi beach to visitors for the next 48 hours in the wake of cyclone. The Fisheries department, in collaboration with the Ports department, managed to persuade all the fishermen to return from the sea by suspending fishing activity on a war footing basis. “Nearly 200 boats, including mechanized boats, have been anchored along the Machilipatnam coast and fishing activity has been completely suspended,” according to Fisheries Department officials.
