Evacuated families to get Rs 500; subsidy for affected ryots

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday directed officials to pay Rs 500 as immediate aid to the families in relief camps. After a detailed discussion at the Cabinet meeting held on Friday, he told the officials concerned to enumerate the crop loss due to cyclone Nivar by December 15 and provide compensation to farmers by December 31.

He further directed them to distribute seeds and offer 80 per cent subsidy to farmers who lost their crop. Ex-gratia and compensation with regard to loss of human life and damage to property will be paid as per the guidelines, he said.

The Chief Minister is scheduled to take an aerial survey of cyclone-affected areas on Saturday. After the aerial survey, he will hold a review meeting at Tirupati with the Collectors of Nellore, Chittoor and YSR Kadapa districts.

Nellore, Prakasam and the Rayalaseema districts bore the brunt of cyclone Nivar, and received almost 188 per cent excess rainfall. Five mandals in Chittoor, two each in Nellore and Kadapa, and one mandal in Prakasam district witnessed extremely heavy rainfall.

As per the preliminary information officials provided to the Cabinet, 664 houses were inundated, 673 were damaged, and over 10,000 people are lodged in 147 relief camps. Till Thursday evening, crop loss was reported on 29,752 hectares in Chittoor, Nellore, Kadapa and Prakasam districts. Paddy (16,290 hectares), black gram (7,362 hectares), cotton (3,571 hectares) and other crops (2,529 hectares) were damaged by the cyclone. 

Toll in State rises to 3

The body of a farmer was retrieved from the Rallamadugu stream
In Chittoor, the body of a YSRC activist was fished out of a stream. He was in a car that got washed away
Earlier, a man succumbed in Nellore

What to expect

A low pressure area is likely to form over Southeast Bay of Bengal in 48 hrs
IMD officials say it is likely to concentrate into a depression during the subsequent 24 hours and may intensify and bring more rain to AP
It is likely to reach the TN-Puducherry coast on December 2