KURNOOL: Three days of hailstorm and rain damaged crops at various places in the district and claimed two lives. Also, many electrical poles and trees were uprooted.
The rain hit hard Alur, Yammiganur, Adoni, Dhone, Nandyal, Pathikonda, Kodumur and Panyam Assembly constituencies and crop were damaged in Holagunda, Aspari, Pathikonda, Orvakal, Alur, Kosigi, Mahanandi and Kodumur mandals in the district.
As per official data, mango crop was damaged in least in 500 hectares, paddy in 650 hectares, cotton in 250 hectares, banana in 400 hectares and others crops in 600 hectares.
B Giddaiah, a mango farmer of Laddagiri village, said mangoes ready for plucking fell down and got damaged in his three acres. Many trees collapsed, he added.
K Bala Krishna, a banana farmer of Mahanandi, said at least five acres of banana plantation was damaged in his total eight acres. He lost nearly `2 lakh due to the rain, he added.
Meanwhile, many irrigation tanks were overflowing at various places in the district. Sekhar (17), an Intermediate student, died when lightning struck him at Alur on April 11 and Ramadevi (35) also died in a similar incident at Holagunda the next day.
Five agricultural labourers were injured when hailstones hit them in Aspari mandal and one woman was injured critically at Ayyakonda village in Gonegandla mandal.
District agriculture joint director Takur said officials visited some places to inspect crop damaged and loss reports will be prepared very soon.