Relief meagre, lament villagers

October 30, 2014 10:46 pm | Updated November 16, 2021 07:06 pm IST - VISAKHAPATNAM:

A resident trying to salvage whatever is left from a destroyed house in NGR Palem village on Visakhapatnam outskirts on Thursday. Photo: K.R. Deepak

A resident trying to salvage whatever is left from a destroyed house in NGR Palem village on Visakhapatnam outskirts on Thursday. Photo: K.R. Deepak

The inhabitants of about 10 villages in Anandapuram mandal in Viskhapatnam district are yet to receive full relief and assistance as promised by the State government in the aftermath of cyclone Hudhud.

Apart from power which is yet to be restored, the villagers have been denied the 25 kg rice and other food material sanctioned by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

K. Narayanamma of NGR Puram said that the fair price shop dealer gave only 10 kg of rice, one kg of oil and one kg of sugar, instead of 25 kg of rice, two kg of pulses, one kg of sugar, one kg of salt and an edible oil packet, free of cost as sanctioned.

“When we approached the dealer, he informed that he had received orders only for 10 kg of rice,” said K. Sattibabu of the same village.

The same is the case with the inhabitants of Mannemapalem village and other villages such as Chinnayapalem and Jodugaruvudu. In many of the villages over 50 per cent of the houses have been damaged and residents are living in village temples or at houses which still have its roof intact or at village squares.

K. Appalakondaiah’s tiled-roof house was completely destroyed, and she has been living with her two daughters in the village square under the shade of a tamarind tree. “Mosquitoes and snakes are common problem and we have been living with them. A government official had come and noted the damage, but so far nothing has been provided as succour,” she lamented.

Plantation hit

The only source of income, apart from daily wage coolie, for inhabitants of the villages such as Shembuvanipalem, Sree Krishnapuram, Satarapu Junction, Mannemapalem, Jodu Garuvudu and Chinnayapalem, has been cashew and mango plantation.

Almost the entire crop was destroyed, said 65-year-old Koppulu Bheemanna of Chinnayapalem. “The average income per year from one-acre of cashew crop is about Rs. 10,000 and from mango is about Rs. 15,000. Over 80 per cent the trees have been destroyed. And now the only option left is to take up coolie work,” he said.

Appalanaidu of the same village said that it would take at least seven to eight years for both cashew and mango crop to come to harvest again.

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