JANGAON/MULUGU: A preliminary report prepared by the Jangaon horticulture officials revealed that at least 400 acres of mango crops were affected by unseasonal rains and hailstorms on Sunday night. Farmers harvesting paddy, red chilli and maize crops in Hanamkonda, Jangaon and Mulugu districts also suffered losses because of the untimely rains.
A substantial portion of mango crops suffered damage in Bheemadevarapally in Hanamkonda district, as well as in Bachannapet, Raghunathpalli, Lingala Ghanpur, and Palakurthy mandals in Jangaon district.
Farmers had commenced harvesting the paddy crop for the Rabi season in Warangal, Mulugu and Jangaon districts and were bringing large quantities of paddy crops to Indira Kranthi Patham (IKP) centres in their respective villages, eager to sell their produce. However, hailstorms damaged the paddy, rendering them unsuitable for procurement.
A farmer told TNIE that the district administration officials were delaying the purchase of paddy crops at the procurement centres.
He alleged that the Civil Supplies and Agricultural department authorities had neglected the implementation of precautionary measures, apart from failing to provide tarpaulin sheets to protect the paddy crops at the centres.
Two farmers killed in lightning strike
Two farmers, B Balamallu and D Ajay, lost their lives in a lightning strike in the erstwhile Warangal district, on Sunday night. Balamallu was hit by lightning while shielding his crops with tarpaulin sheets amidst sudden heavy rains in Eturnagaram, Mulugu district. Meanwhile, Ajay was struck by lightning while he was returning from his farm in Raghunathpally mandal of Jangaon district. Upon receiving information, police arrived at the scene and shifted the bodies for postmortem. Ragunathpally Sub-Inspector (SI) D Naresh said that a case has been registered under Section 174 of the CrPC.