Unseasonal rain destroys crops worth crores in Ballari

Ballari: Unseasonal rain has damaged standing crops in Ballari district, pushing farmers to difficulty. Ballari is one of the worst-hit districts due to heavy rain in the last five days.
Farmers, who were preparing to harvest their crops, are distraught seeing them damaged due to the downpour. They were expecting better yield this year, but unseasonal rain has washed away standing crops grown on hundreds of hectares in the district.
According to sources in the district administration and the agricultural department, paddy and chilli, which are major crops in the district, have been damaged.Paddy grown on 11,030 hectares in the district, including 4,538 hectares in Siruguppa, and 2,893 hectares in Kampli, have been damaged. The other crops to have been lost: chilli grown on 4,758 hectares, Bengal gram grown on 1,205 hectares, and cotton grown on 50 hectares.
The district has received a maximum rainfall against its normal rainfall between November 7 and 20. Ballari taluk has received 107.3mm rain (as against 5.4mm normal rainfall), Kampali has received 179.9mm (against 9mm normal rainfall), Sandur has received 124.4mm and Kurugodu taluks received 104.4mm rainfall (200% above their normal rainfall).
In the last two days, 100 houses were partially damaged, causing a loss of Rs 24.75 lakh. Of them, 32 were in Ballari taluk, and 33 in Sandur.
Mallikarjun, joint director of the agriculture department (Ballari), told STOI that a majority of the standing crops have been extensively damaged in the last six days following unseasonal rain. “Standing crops grown on 12,000 hectares, including paddy and jowar, have been damaged. Horticulture crops grown on 4,802 hectares, including chilli, have been damaged. As per a preliminary report, agriculture crops worth Rs 15 crore and horticulture crops worth Rs 6.5 crore have been destroyed,” he said.
Officers from agriculture and revenue departments have launched a joint survey to assess damage to crops and properties, and a final report will be submitted to the government in a week. Compensation will be paid to rain-hit farmers, he added.
Dr R H Patil, head of agromet department and principal nodal officer at GKM units, UAS (Dharwad), said there will be widespread very light-to-moderate rain with isolated heavy rain in north Karnataka (including Belagavi, Dharwad, Uttar Kannada and Haveri districts) from November 20 to 23.
Providing relief’
The state received excessive rain in October and November. We have received primary reports on losses to crops, including paddy and jowar, from districts bordering Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and from coastal and north Karnataka regions. I have directed officials from districts hit by heavy unseasonal rain to use available funds to provide relief
Basavaraj Bommai | Chief minister