The paddy growers bore the brunt of nature’s fury with an unusual spell of rain accompanied by gusty winds and hailstorms lashing many parts of Kamareddy district on Sunday.
The unseasonal rains and hailstorms caused extensive damage to crops at Pitlam, Nizamsagar and Bichkunda mandal under the Jukkal Assembly constituency. The rain began in the afternoon and continued for a long time. The hailstorm wreaked havoc on crops. Paddy crop was flattened due to rain accompanied by gusty winds and hailstorms. The crop loss left the farmers in tears. Trees were uprooted and electrical poles fell due to strong winds and rains. The tin roofs and thatched roofs were blown off.
According to preliminary estimates, the unseasonal rains and hailstorms caused extensive damage to sorghum, maize and paddy crops. The harvested paddy on the fields was drenched in rain. The farmers removed the tarpaulin cover over the paddy produced in the morning for drying. Suddenly, it started raining and drenched the produce. The hailstorm played havoc with standing crops.
In the Nirmal district, heavy rain at midnight on Saturday played havoc with crops. The rains left the farmers worried as they feared that they may not be able to earn back their investment. The rains damaged the crops ready for harvesting. The sesame crop too suffered heavy damage. The harvested maize crop was also damaged.
The paddy, maize and sesame crops suffered extensive damage, according to farmers. The paddy crops were flattened. The farmers estimated that the crop loss was estimated to be Rs 10,000 per acre.
