Though Laila cyclone has eased considerably, the heavy rains accompanying it have caused extensive damage to the tune of Rs. 78.1 crores all over the Krishna district as per the preliminary estimates arrived at by the various departments in the district administration. The damage is estimated to be Rs. 64 crore only in the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation limits, where roads bore the brunt of it.
Regarding the damage to crops, the officials have formed teams at the village and mandal levels to assess the extent of damage. However, agriculture officials have initially estimated the overall damage to 28,000 metric tonnes of paddy lying in agriculture fields. The overall damage in agriculture sector in the district is initially estimated at Rs. 7.5 crores.
The losses in different departments caused by the cyclone were Rs. 64 crore in city, Rs. 4.4 crores in horticulture, Rs. 7.5 crore in agriculture and Rs. 2.2 crores in fisheries.
ADVERTISEMENT
The city received very heavy rainfall which was recorded at 15 cm before 8 a.m. and nearly 4 cm from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Because of the battering rain, the road conditions turned worse even as trees were uprooted at several places causing obstructions. The municipal authorities rushed in teams which retrieved the situation immediately.
Stating that the administration faced the cyclone threat effectively and it rose to the occasion, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Minister K Parthasarathi said that compensation would be paid wherever it would be necessary as per the rules. He said that they would consider paying ex gratia to the four persons, including a 2-year old girl, in a wall collapse in hillock areas in One Town.
Senior IAS Officer B.R. Meena, who came here as special officer to oversee cyclone relief operations, said that all steps were taken to prevent any largescale damage due to the heavy rains.
ADVERTISEMENT
At many places, small streams and rivulets overflowed causing damage to drains and roads for which the Minister announced Rs. 50 lakh for repairs. The streams that overflowed included Uracheruvu, Nallacheruvu and so on.
Due to very heavy rains, there appeared to be a problem of overflowing but the water was receding. Municipal Commissioner G.Ravi Babu said there was no choking of drains anywhere in the city. The damages suffered in city due to cyclone under various heads include Rs. 30 crore in roads, Rs. 13 crore in drains, Rs. 10 crore drinking water lines, Rs. 5 crores in under ground drainage and Rs. 5 crore in buildings.