ONGOLE: The unseasonal rains and gales on Tuesday evening caused losses to the agriculture sector, particularly to papaya, mango and banana crops in Markapuram district. Due to lightning and thunderbolts, three agricultural workers lost their lives in the district.
District authorities on Wednesday started survey to assess the losses. Revenue, Agriculture and Horticulture department officials are collecting details of human and crop losses in the affected areas.
In Bodapadu village of Markapuram mandal, V Pullamma, 47, died due to lightning while she was returning home from the fields. Ch Kumari, 51, died after a shed collapsed on her and D Sobha Rani, 36, from Gantapuram village in Bestavaripeta mandal died due to a thunderbolt while she went to her field to bring fodder for cattle. In Burujupalle village of Giddaluru mandal, a buffalo was crushed under a falling tree and died.
On Tuesday evening, the weather suddenly changed in several mandals of Markapuram district and rain started with strong winds.
These unseasonal rains and strong winds caused losses to horticulture crops including banana, papaya and mango in around 500 to 600 acres in Markapuram, Cumbham, Bestavaripeta, Yerragondapalem, Dornala, Ardhaveedu, Kanigiri, Giddaluru, Pedda Cherlo Palli and Tripurantakam mandals. In a few fields, chillies on drying floors were also damaged in Cumbham and Markapuram mandals.
“We have started the crop loss assessment work in the rain-hit areas and it will be finalised in a couple of days,” Ramesh, Horticulture officer, explained.