Andhra CM visits flood-hit Kadapa district

Amaravati, Dec 2: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday visited YSR Kadapa district which was affected by recent heavy rains and floods and interacted with affected people.

He met the farmers and flood affected people at Pulapatturu village. He walked around the village and consoled the victims.

Later, the Chief Minister attended the programme for sanctioning houses to be built in five cents of land to the people who lost their houses due to heavy rains and floods. In his remarks on the occasion, he was all praise for the officials for their quick response during the floods.

Claiming that the compensation has been given to 98 per cent of the people, he said those who missed can approach the village secretariat and get it.

The Chief Minister said 293 houses were damaged in Pulapatturu village and the state government will build each house in five cents for them. He said the state government would provide compensation to every farmer who lost the crop and added that Rs 12,000 would be given to them to clear sand dunes in their farms.

He said employment would be provided to everyone through MGNREGS works as there won't be agriculture works due to the breach of two projects. He assured women that a moratorium would be imposed for a year on their DWACRAA loans.

Reddy said educated youth, who suffered losses, will be provided jobs and loans within 10 days. He said six Deputy Collectors were assigned to carry out relief works in the villages and they would be available till Sunday to solve all the problems.

The Chief Minister said Pincha dam and Annamayya dam will be redesigned and constructed to handle more flood inflows and added that retaining walls will be constructed along the sides of residential areas till Nandaluru bridge to avoid flood water entering into those areas.

A depression in Bay of Bengal from November 13 to November 20 triggered heavy to very heavy rains in south coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema.

The heavy rains and floods battered Nellore, Chittoor, Kadapa, and Anantapur districts, leaving at least 40 people dead. According to officials, 25 people went missing. A total of 1,402 villages in 196 mandals and four towns were affected.

The cost of the crops damage and loss to infrastructure is estimated at over Rs 6,000 crore.