KHAMMAM / WARANGAL: Continuous downpour over the last 24 hours has not only thrown normal life out gear but has also caused massive damage to crops spread across acres in erstwhile Khammam district. The worst-affected are, undoubtedly, the farmers, who have incurred heavy losses.
According to sources, about 4,000 acres of banana plantation and 5,000 acres of ground-nut crops have been obliterated in Aswaraopet mandal alone in Bhadradri Kothagudem district.
The rains, caused by a depression in the Bay of Bengal, has also damaged thousands of acres of paddy crops that were already harvested but were awaiting purchase.
Farmers claimed that the civil supply officials delayed the purchase of the crops. Consequently, the crops that were brought to the market yards were soaked in the rains.
Farmers in Narayanapuram village in Aswaraopet alleged that the concerned authorities failed to inform them about the approaching cyclone in advance. Several tobacco and chilli plantations were also reportedly damaged in the district.
K Rama Rao, a farmer of Enkoor village said that the cyclone was unanticipated. “We didn’t see the rains coming. If the civil supply officials were not so apathetic and had completed the purchase in time, we would not have incurred this big a loss,” he said.
Harvested paddy damaged
The unseasonal rains that lashed many places in erstwhile Warangal district destroyed paddy harvests that were stored at Enumamula market yard on the outskirts of Warangal city, Narsampet market yard and Mahabubabad market yard.
However, there were no reports of standing crops damaged due to rains.
The farmers were reportedly seen collecting the wet paddy and shifting them to safer places in the market yard. As the paddy got soaked in rain water, farmers demanded the government to increase the moisture level to recover the losses.