SIDDIPET/ KHAMMAM: Farmers across the Siddpet district suffered extensive crop loss due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms on Sunday night. Crops in nearly 20,000 acres were damaged across Mirdoddi, Nanganoor, Toguta and Kodapaka mandals. Strong gales blew away the rooftops of houses and poultry farms, uprooted trees and electric poles, and killed two cattle.
At the Duddeda toll plaza, the roof collapsed on vehicles due to heavy winds. Paddy stored at the procurement centres was soaked, as officials reportedly failed to take preventive measures. Mango farmers too reported huge losses as fruit fell prematurely from trees.
MLAs T Harish Rao and K Prabhakar Reddy visited the affected areas and assured farmers that they would push for compensation. Farmers, reeling from the third such instance of crop damage this season, urged the state government to step in.