Central Team Visits Prakasam to Assess Cyclone Damage

A Central Government delegation visited Prakasam district to assess the damage caused by Cyclone 'Michaung' and assured that a comprehensive report would be submitted to the Government. The team — comprising P. Pousumi Basu, Mahesh Kumar, Shashank Shekhar Rai, and Sai Bhagirath, along with State Disaster Management Authority MD Prakhar Jain — was received by District Collector P. Raja Babu, Joint Collector R. Gopalakrishna, and DRO B. China Obulesu at Ongole. The officials briefed the team on extensive losses in agriculture, aquaculture, roads, irrigation, rural water supply, power, and urban infrastructure. A special photo and video presentation showcased pre- and post-cyclone conditions and the relief measures undertaken by the district administration.

The Central team also inspected paddy fields, prawn ponds, and cotton crops across several villages including Alluru, Koppolu, and Nagulapalapadu. Farmers shared their distress, citing crop rot, damaged embankments, and loss of aquaculture farms. The team expressed concern, noting that many farmers had lost their entire crops. Collector Raja Babu informed that 12,570 hectares of agricultural land were affected — including 8,313 ha of cotton, 1,557 ha of paddy, 1,388 ha of vegetables, and 1,260 ha of maize. Public representatives, including MLAs Damacharla Janardhan Rao, B.N. Vijay Kumar, and others, submitted representations seeking immediate central assistance for the affected families and sectors.