Nizamabad: Unseasonal rains damaged standing crops in Nizamabad and Kamareddy districts. Heavy rain and hailstorms damaged paddy, maize and other crops as also vegetables in both the districts on Saturday night.
Hailstorms followed by strong gales adversely affected the farmers in Nizamabad, Bodhan, Armoor, Kamareddy and Banswada areas.
Farmers expressed shock over the damage to paddy crop shortly before the harvesting. “We had spent Rs 30,000 per acre for cultivation. All is lost now. We urge the state government to release compensation,” they said.
The agriculture and revenue department were urged by them to conduct field-level surveys and assess the crop damage.
K. Ramulu, farmer from Indalwai mandal, said, “We never expected rain just before the harvesting of paddy crop. People were suffering from the scorching summer and then came the sudden downpour along with hailstorms, damaging the crops,” he lamented.
"We are hopeful that chief minister Revanth Reddy will react swiftly and announce a compensation to us, " he said, adding that vegetable crops were also extensively damaged due to the unseasonal rain.
Bodhan MLA, P Sudarshan Reddy, visited the damaged crop fields in Yedapally mandal on Sunday. He, along with Telangana state Urdu academy chairman Taher Bin Hamdan, interacted with the farmers. He assured them possible compensation from the state government.
Kamareddy MLA Katipally Venkataramana Reddy visited fields in Kamareddy, Rajampet, Bhiknoor and Domakonda mandals. He said crops were damaged in around 25 villages. Implementation of Fasal Bima Yojana will benefit the farmers, he said.
Power supply, disrupted in the rain and storm, would soon be restored in villages, he said.
Adviser to the state government, Mohammad Ali Shabbir, visited the agricultural fields in Kamareddy, Rajampet, Bhiknoor and Domakonda mandals. Congress leaders along with officials would collect details of the crop damage and recommend compensation, he said.
He alleged that the former BRS government “instigated farmers to commit suicide by the implementing Rythu Bima scheme. Now, the Congress government is implementing the crop insurance scheme,” he said.
Shabbir Ali gave Rs 10,000 as financial aid to a family, whose house was damaged in the unseasonal rain in Laxmidevunipally in Bhiknoor mandal.
