A view of the rice crop flattened by Cyclone Montha at Chirravur near Tadepalli in Guntur district on Wednesday. | Photo credit: GN RAO
As rains from Cyclone Montha inundate fields, damage crops and clog canals, farmers in parts of Guntur district are staring at huge losses. Cotton and chilli crops in Prathipadu mandal were particularly devastated, with growers fearing total loss. They also complained of poor canal maintenance and lack of urea, which they said aggravated their plight.
District Collector A. Thameem Ansariya visited the affected areas, including Prathipadu, Pedanandipadu and Kakumanu mandals, on Wednesday (October 29) to take stock of the situation. She inspected the flow of water in the Kondaveedu river valley, ongoing canal desilting work and relief camps set up at Zilla Parishad High Schools in Prathipad and Pedanandipad.
The collector crossed the flooded Nakkalavagu and Mekalavagu creeks on a tractor and reached Varagani and Nandipadu to meet local residents and farmers. She directed officials to speed up post-cyclone relief measures and ensure sanitation in all affected villages.
In an interview with the media, the collector said that the assessment of crop damage would be completed within two days. She added that 5,000 metric cents of urea is available in the district, electricity is being restored and 84 fallen trees have been cleared from the roads. More than 9,000 people are currently sheltered in 153 relief centers where essential supplies are being distributed as per the Chief Minister’s orders.
Published – 29 Oct 2025 20:37 IST
