Warangal: Overnight heavy rains with gusty winds brought in more trouble on Sunday morning for farmers of Warangal district already suffering from huge crop loss owing to the previous rains.
Rains resulted not only in crop loss but also damaged property, with winds blowing away housetops, rooting out electric poles and trees; disrupting life in several parts of the district. Lightning that accompanied killed a farmer and injured four others.
As many farmers got up on Sunday morning, they found their crops kept in mounds at purchasing centres soaked in water following the unexpected overnight rains. Roofs of several houses got blown away in gusty winds, causing injuries to people in Chintal, Kasibugga, Abbanikunta and Fort Warangal areas of Warangal city.
Uprooted electric poles and trees on the road disrupted vehicular traffic towards Ramappa Temple in Venkatapura mandal and in Govindaraopet mandal of Mulugu district.
Farmer Banoth Suman (32) died when lightning struck him as he filled food grains in bags at his field in Bhojya Naik Thanda of Narsampet mandal. Lightning struck the same thanda at another place, injuring three other farmers – Banoth Bhadru, Banoth Rama Devi and Azmeera Shashi Reka. Family members shifted them to the area hospital.
Another farmer Lodam Lingaiah, a native of Maheshwaram village, suffered injuries when lightning struck him while he tended to his field at Ramulu Naik Thanda in Narsampet. He has been shifted to a private hospital.
Warangal East MLA Nannapuneni Narendar of BRS visited various colonies affected by the heavy rains and interacted with affected people. He asked municipal and electricity officials to restore normalcy in the affected colonies.
