Vijayawada, May 12 (Representative) Cyclone ‘Asani’ has claimed three lives and horticulture crops and paddy crops in thousands of acres damaged in the coastal Andhra Pradesh district. According to official sources, three persons died in rain-related incidents at various places in the state during the last 48 hours. The sources said Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency (MPTC) member Tummala Kasulu (40) was killed when a Palmyra tree fell on him when he was going to Upparapalli village on a two-wheeler in S Rayavaram mandal in Anakapalli district. One person Vakapalli Srinivasa Rao (43) was killed when the house in which he was asleep caved in at Kamanagaruvu village in Amalapuram mandal. Another person was killed when lightning struck him at Jaladanki mandal in Nellore district.
The farmers bore the brunt of the Asani cyclone as crops like mango, banana, turmeric, maize and papaya were damaged in thousands of acres in Kadapa, Kurnool, Prakasam, Krishna and West Godavari districts. The Mango and papaya farmers were badly affected when the ready to harvest mangoes fell due to rain and gales and the papaya plants were uprooted. The standing paddy crop was seen soaking in rain water in P Gannavaram, Mummidivaram, Kothapet, Razole, Amalapuram, Mandapeta and Ramachandrapuram mandals in East Godavari district. The sources also said that paddy was cultivated in about four lakh acres in East Godavari and West Godavari during the Rabi season, of which the harvesting of crop had been completed in three lakh acres. The farmers left the harvested paddy produce in the fields itself for drying purposes.
The vehicular traffic was disrupted on the Kandukur-Kondamusupalem in Nellore district as the flood water Yerra vagu rivulet overflowed on the road. Several villages in Atmakur division were in darkness due to power failure. The vehicular traffic was disrupted on Tanguturu-Alakurapadu in Prakasam district as the flood water of Paleru stream overflowed on the road. Several streams, canals and nalas are in spate due to heavy rains. Meanwhile, the flight services were resumed on Thursday. According to an IMD report today, the Depression over coastal Andhra Pradesh weakened into a well marked low pressure area over the same region at 0830 hours on Thursday. The IMD bulletin said the well marked low pressure area is likely to weaken further into a ‘Low Pressure Area’ during the next 12 hours.