GUNTUR: Different crops, particularly paddy, in hundreds of acres were inundated in Guntur district following incessant rains in the last three days. As per the agriculture department’s estimates, crops in 2,525 hectares were likely to be damaged in several parts of the district. Paddy fields suffered extensive damage at Repalle, Ponnuru, Bhattiprolu, Pittalavanipalem, Nagaram, Kolluru, Amruthluru, Kakumanu, Bapatla, Kolluru and Tadikonda mandals.
Apart from paddy, green gram crop in Tadepalli was damaged due to heavy rains. The agriculture department is collecting the data of the damaged crops to prepare a report and submit it to the government for further action. Paddy nurseries spread over 2,680 hectares in Tenali, Ponnuru and Bapatla sub-divisions, 1,359 hectares are under water. Similarly, paddy transplanted in 840 acres was flooded. Agriculture officials after inspecting the damage advised farmers to clear the water from the fields to protect crops. Mangalagiri MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy visited the marooned fields at Undavalli and Penumaka villages on Monday and demanded that the government pay compensation to the farmers who suffered crop damage. Joint director M Vijaya Bharati directed officials to guide delta region farmers in saving their crops from flood water.