Unseasonal rain damages crops in 55,000 acres across Telangana

HYDERABAD: Unseasonal rain and hail storms have destroyed crops in over 55,000 acres across Telangana, spurring the government to ring alarm bells and take stock of the situation in the hinterland. Paddy and mango crop were the worst hit, according to initial estimates, and chances of more damages in store if the rain continues for a few more days.
“The exact loss could be more, but our preliminary information says paddy has been damaged in about 30,000 acres, mango in 20,000 acres and other vegetable crops in a few thousand acres,” principal secretary, agriculture, C Parthasarathi told TOI.

Senior agriculture officials said the damage was extensive as mango tress were flattened due to the impact of hail and strong gales. Banana, papaya, sweet lime, green chilli, lime and other horticulture crops were also damaged, the officials said based on initial estimates from affected areas in Peddapalle, Mancherial, Siddipet, Jagtial, Rajanna-Sircilla and other districts.
A worried chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has asked district collectors to help farmers make proper assessment of crop damage and inform the loss to insurance companies within 72 hours. He also asked the officials to ensure all support was extended to the farmers.
‘Farmer must intimate insurance cos of crop damage within 72 hrs’
Under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), hailstorm is covered under localised calamities and a insured farmer has to intimate crop damage to the respective insurance company through the toll-free numbers within 72 hours.
It is mandatory that the insurance company representative along with agricultural department official and the insured farmer visit the damaged field for assessing the percentage of crop damage due to occurrence of hailstorm,” Parthasarathi said.
Agriculture minister S Niranjan Reddy has directed marketing department officials to ensure harvested crop was moved to godowns, including National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development one, on a war footing.
In Hyderabad, the unseasonal rain brought the much-needed relief to denizens of the concrete jungle from simmering heat as temperatures plummeted.
But the rain also brought with it woes of inundated roads and power outages.