KARIMNAGAR: Unexpected and untimely rains created havoc in the erstwhile Karimnagar district, damaging the standing crops as well as the paddy the farmers brought to the procurement centres.
The sudden downpour early on Sunday caught farmers unawares and they were unable to shift the paddy they dried at the procurement centres in order to reduce the moisture content in their produce. While the paddy was completely got wet at some centres, the dried paddy got washed away at others.
Such unfortunate situations were witnessed in most parts of Karimnagar district, including Karimnagar, Ganneruvaram, Ramadugu mandal, where the farmers brought their produce to sell to the government.
Speaking to Express, a farmer said that he brought the harvested paddy to the centre and dried it overnight to ensure the moisture continent is reduced. "We would have sold the paddy on Sunday. But the sudden rains shattered our dreams," he lamented.
In Rajanna-Sircilla, according to a preliminary report conducted by the Agriculture Department, about 2,791 acres of crop were damaged, affecting 1,534 farmers in 24 villages.District Collector D Krishnabasker visited several villages and promised to provide all assistance to the farmers to overcome the issue.