Kongarani Appala Narasaiah, a coconut farmer from Thudem village in Bhogapuram mandal, is worried as to how to remove the coconut trees from his three-acre land, which have been completely damaged by the cyclone.
Around 180 trees on his land have been flattened by Hudhud. He earns Rs. 30,000 in 35-40 days by selling a tender coconut at Rs. 7 each. Staring at a bleak future, Mr. Narasaiah finds the compensation announced by the government meagre to recoup the losses.
“How a compensation of Rs. 1,000 for each damaged tree will help us? I need at least four labourers per tree to clear the damaged ones from my land and each labourer charges Rs. 250 as wage,” he rued.
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Vuppula Sanyasi, a farm labour, says he has no work since the cyclonic storm devastated coconut plantation in 2,505 hectares, including the ones in 500 hectares in Thudem and Kavulawada in Bhogapuram and Poosapatirega mandals of the district.
“I used to earn Rs. 250 a day by toiling in my coconut fields. Thudem has 625 white ration card holders and the families survive mainly on coconut and cashew plantations. I do not know what to do now?,” he said.
According to officials in Horticulture Department, crops in 12,286 hectares have been damaged in the cyclone, incurring losses to the tune of Rs. 21.23 crore to 22,120 farmers.
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Horticulture Officer Rahim said that a field-to-field survey began on Monday and the loss might go up further. The final survey would complete in a week or 10 days, he added. As per the preliminary estimates, banana plantation was damaged in 3,256h a spread over 12mandals, vegetables in 3,256 ha, coconut in 2,505 ha, cashew 963 ha and papaya in 157 ha.
Collector M.M. Naik hoped that power to all agricultural pump sets would be supplied by the end of this month.
The Collector said removal of uprooted trees would take 10 more days.