SRIKAKULAM

Floods have damaged crops on 13,000 acres in Srikakulam district, and the Agriculture Department expects to finish counting the losses in a couple of days, Joint Director of Agriculture Y.V. Murali Krishna said. Crops in some areas could still survive, he told The Hindu

Mr. Murali Krishna and other senior officials have been visiting the flood-affected areas of Burja, Amadalavalasa, Polaki, Santhabommali and other mandals. The first round of inspection in Allina and other villages of Burja mandal was completed on Monday (September 28, 2026).

“Standing paddy crop got damaged due to sulfide caused due to the continuous logging of roots in flood waters. They turned dark and black in colour. Yielding will be affected with this damage. The agriculture department can take up remedial measures by providing nutrients and fertilisers if the water fully recedes at the earliest. We will use drones to distribute nutrients and fertilisers to enable crops to get back its strength to some extent,” said Mr. Murali Krishna.

Agriculture scientists of Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, and the Naira Agriculture College in Srikakulam are expected to make recommendations to the department shortly, at the suggestion of Srikakulam Collector Swapnil Dinakar Pundkar. The Collector told The Hindu that a detailed note on the crop damage and remedial measures would be sent to the government after the enumeration was completed in a few days.

MARKFED Director Anepu Ramakrishna Naidu asked the Collector to recommend input subsidy for farmers, because a majority of them had not opted for crop insurance. “The input subsidy in the form of financial assistance will enable farmers to go for new crops in the rabi season. We also request sanction of the input subsidy for partially damaged crops also,” he added.