A double cyclone will leave livelihoods in tatters

A farmer shows his damaged paddy crop after Cyclone Arnab in Tadepalli Mandal of Guntur District. | Photo credit: GN RAO

For generations, coconut trees have been for people in the coastal areas of Dr. BR Ambedkar Konaseema and West Godavari more than just a crop. They became their livelihood. However, the two cyclones that hit the coastal district of Andhra Pradesh during the week left coconut growers, farmers and fishing communities in the region staring down as thousands of coconut palms were flattened, thousands of acres of paddy fields were flattened and dozens of boats were rendered inoperable. Konaseema district witnessed all the destruction, more than 73,500 coconut trees were uprooted and paddy fields destroyed in an area of ​​1,18,109 acres, leaving around 88,000 farmers stranded. Meanwhile, 27,397 coconut trees were destroyed in West Godavari district, affecting more than 5,000 small and marginal growers.

Andhra Pradesh was devastated by two cyclones between 28 October and 3 November. One was “Very Severe” Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) Arnab and the other “Severe” Cyclonic Storm (SCS) Murasu left West Godavari, Konaseema and Bapatla districts in ruins according to Godri Guntur, East Distatur State, Godri Guntur State. governing body. Coastal areas in the two districts of West Godavari and Konaseema were ravaged by strong gales of around 150 kmph at the time of Arnab’s landfall on October 28 and 29 and suffered again when extremely heavy rainfall lashed the districts on November 3 and 4 after Murasu made landfall near Ongole.

Published – 13 Nov 2026 07:39 IST