A Central team headed by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs Mr. R. R. Jha, arrived in the District here on Saturday for a two-day tour for the assessment of the damage to crops due to the rains. This eight member’s team was divided into two groups for making field visits for proper assessment of crop losses in different districts. One group proceeded to East Godavari district and the other to West Godavari for this purpose. As a part of the tour, the team visited the Collectorate and observed the photography exhibition of spoiled crops. After that, Joint Collector, Mr. K.Sasidhar explained the preliminary report through Power point presentation on enumeration done in all the rain-affected areas. Later, the team conducted a meet with all the respected officials. In this meet, Collector, Mr. Ravi Chandra spoke that hike in petrol prices, unchecked black marketing may push up the prices of rice, pulses and edible oils. Bad weather conditions have thrown farmers of East Godavari district, which is rice bowl of the State, into distress and affected paddy production in the kharif season. The average rainfall in the district per annum is 1,218 mm, but during the latest 10-day spell the rainfall was 22,560 mm which damaged oilseeds also. About the loss the team visited to different rain affected areas in the district and asked people about their problems. This team will give the final report to the Central Government after completion of their entire tour.