Sircilla/Jagtial: The unseasonal rainfall along with strong gales in the region since Sunday night caused massive damage to both harvested and standing crops in Rajanna Sircilla and Jagtial districts.
Interruption to power supply lasted for several hours in many parts of both the districts as power lines were uprooted by strong gales. Paddy farmers faced a huge loss as the stocks kept in the open at purchasing centres were soaked in rainwater.
The farmers of Chandurti mandal in Sircilla district staged a rasta roko on the main road of Vemulawada and Korutla demanding that the state government purchase the soaked paddy stocks.
While the farmers of Thangallapalli mandal staged a dharna at the purchasing centres to press this demand, they alleged that the stock were kept without any protection from rain, for the past several days.
The farmers of Mandepalli and Rallapet mandals also staged dharna demanding the government purchase the soaked paddy.
State minister and Sircilla MLA Rama Rao made a phone call to the district collector Anurag Jayanti and inquired about the details of the loss caused to paddy stocks at purchasing centres.
KTR advised the Collector to give an assurance to the farmers that the government is ready to purchase every grain that is soaked in the rainwater and will bail out the farmers.
Collector Anurag Jayanti visited the areas where heavy rainfall occurred and held a review meeting with the officials of agriculture and revenue departments and asked them to take an estimate of the crop loss. He told the farmers the government will purchase all the food grains/paddy that were soaked in the rainwater.
Meanwhile, in Jagtial district, heavy rain with strong gales occurred since Sunday night and they continued till Monday morning in Korutla, Raikal and Medipally mandals.
Several trees were uprooted, causing road blockade and interruption to the free flow of traffic on the Jagtial - Nizamabad national highway.
The mango farmers faced a huge loss with dropping of unripe mangoes from the trees due to the strong gales in the district.
