Banana, arecanut, papaya and mango orchards have been damaged in close to 500 hectares in undivided Kurnool and Anantapur districts following heavy gales and wind clubbed with rains on Monday evening due to the impact of Cyclone Asani.
Standing banana plants got razed to the ground, dealing a major blow to the farmers in Nandyal and Anantapur districts.
According to preliminary estimates prepared on Tuesday, the total damage to the horticulture crops alone has been assessed at ₹12.12 crore in Nandyal, Anantapur and Sri Sathya Sai districts, while the damage in Kurnool district was very meager and was yet to be estimated.
According to the Anantapur and Sri Sathya Sai District Horticulture officers Gatti Satish and Chandrasekhar, while crops on 273.41 hectares were damaged in Anantapur, in the SSS district it was in 32.65 hectares. Nandyal District Horticulture Officer B.V. Ramana said that while the extent of damage was 200.6 hectares, the loss was estimated at ₹7.85 crore.
Banana and papaya plants got razed in Bukkarayasamudram at Reddipalli villages and also in Beluguppa, Atmakur and Kundurpi mandals. Communist Party of India (Marxist) and CPI leaders visited some banana plantations and demanded immediate payment of compensation.
Several avenue trees also got uprooted in Reddipalli on the State Highway between Anantapur and Tadipatri and power lines were damaged in Rayadurg and Kalyandurg, according to sources.
