Heavy rainfall in Srikakulam district as a result of Cyclone Fani has caused major damage to crops in the northern part of the Andhra district. According to early reports, losses are estimated to be about Rs 38.43 crore across the northern mandals in Srikakulam that were most affected.
Up to 19 cm of rainfall was registered in some parts of the district, including Sompet and Kanchili mandals. Many trees and electric poles were uprooted and houses were damaged due to strong winds and moderate to heavy rains from Thursday night to Friday morning. Yet, according to reports, the damages have been less severe than people had anticipated, since the cyclone intensified in speed before reaching the Odisha coast, alleviating the impact on Srikakulam.
About 2,129 electric poles, 218 cell towers and 162 houses were reportedly damaged in the district, with infrastructure damage in Palasa and Srikakulam municipalities estimated to be about Rs 2.12 crore. Most of the towns and villages in the area have had no power since Thursday. The lines are being fixed and electricity is expected to return by Saturday. Losses to the energy department are estimated to be about Rs 9.75 crore.
Many houses, especially those with mud walls, belonging to poorer families have reportedly collapsed in the heavy rains. Families who had to reconstruct their houses after Cyclone Titli in October last year will have to rebuild once again after Fani, and are hoping to receive compensation from the state government.
Several acres of crops have also been damaged, including coconut, cashew, tomato, mango, maize, papaya, banana and groundnut, among others, with fruits falling off the trees because of heavy wind and rain. According to estimates, twelve sheep and nine cattle have died in the rains, and about 187 hectares of paddy and 555 hectares of groundnut crops were damaged. The loss to horticultural crops has been estimated at about Rs 4.1 crore.
Numerous coconut trees were reportedly uprooted in the Uddanam region, where farmers were just recovering from the damage caused to cashew and coconut farms by Cyclone Titli. Although agriculture department officials are still working on assessing the losses, initial estimates suggest that up to 10,000 coconut trees have collapsed. In Icchapuram area, farmers have told the local media that with Cyclone Titli had damaged most of the 65,000 acres of cashew farms, but they were expecting to recover partially. Now, with the cashew falling off the trees after Fani, they are unlikely to recover anything. In Santhabommali mandal, the rain has dissolved the salt in the salt evaporation ponds, with salt farmers estimating losses of up to Rs 1 crore. Farmers are also hoping to receive government compensation for the damages.
Local newspapers have reported that an 80-year-old woman died in Tekkali on Friday due to cold winds. Many people who had earlier been evacuated from unsafe areas to relief centres have started to return to their homes since Friday morning.