Officials put on high alert

Amaravati: Agriculture minister K Atchannaidu has directed officials of the agriculture and horticulture departments to take urgent measures to minimise crop losses in the wake of Cyclone Arnab and extend all possible support to farmers.

The minister held a teleconference with senior officials of the two departments and district-level officers on Wednesday to review crop protection, restoration and relief measures.

Atchannaidu stressed that all officials, from village-level agricultural assistants to senior state-level officers, must discharge their responsibilities with utmost commitment and work in coordination to protect farmers’ interests. He instructed officials to provide technical guidance to farmers to safeguard crops ready for harvesting, harvested produce and stocks of paddy from damage caused by adverse weather conditions. He also asked them to visit villages as soon as weather conditions permit and interact directly with farmers to understand their problems. The minister emphasised the need to drain stagnant water from waterlogged fields and take appropriate steps to revive damaged crops. He said special attention should be given to restoring crops wherever possible to reduce the financial burden on farmers.

He directed officials to assess crop losses village-wise, crop-wise and farmer-wise, and submit preliminary reports to the government without delay. Comprehensive reports should subsequently be prepared based on field-level assessments.

The agriculture and horticulture departments were asked to coordinate closely with district administrations and continuously monitor relief and restoration operations. Officials should collect details of affected farmers promptly and prepare proposals to ensure timely assistance to all eligible farmers in accordance with government norms.

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The Hans India