Central team assesses Cyclone Murasu damage in East Godavari district

Members of the Central Inter-Ministerial Team interact with paddy farmers on crop damage caused by Cyclone Murasu near Kovvur in East Godavari district on Saturday.

A team of officials from the Inter-Ministerial Central Team, led by Deputy Secretary in the Union Ministry of Rural Development Alok Jawahar, on Saturday inspected agricultural crops, small bridges across irrigation canals and drinking water ponds damaged by Cyclone Murasu in East Godavari district.

Members of the Central Inter-Ministerial Team interact with paddy farmers on crop damage caused by Cyclone Murasu near Kovvur in East Godavari district on Saturday.

The team inspected breached irrigation canals and water ponds in Kovvur, Nidadavolu and Gopalapuram mandals. The stretch between Nidadavolu, Kovvur and Gopalapuram along the western bank of the Godavari suffered extensive damage following heavy rainfall during Cyclone Murasu.

In Chagallu and Kovvur areas, the team members enquired about the damage to standing paddy crops, which are due for harvest in December, and assessed the extent of the losses.

The team, which included National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) scientist S.V.S.P. Sarma and Central Water Commission, Hyderabad, Superintending Engineer Rekharani Kollu, asked district officials to submit an action plan for the permanent reconstruction of three bridges damaged across irrigation canals. The estimated cost of reconstruction is ₹1.5 crore.

In Gopalapuram mandal, the team inspected the Pallavaram Right Main Canal, Bollala pond and adjoining paddy fields.