KHAMMAM: The fifth spell of rains in Khammam district has damaged crops over 80,000 acres including paddy, cotton and chilli. Heavy rains have breached tanks at 50 places in various mandals. Sattupalli mandal is the worst-hit with breaches at 10 locations. Paddy crop over 1,000 acres have been washed away in the mandal.
Crop damage has been reported from 345 villages in the district causing losses to 55,000 farmers. As per a preliminary report, crop loss has been estimated at Rs. 100 crore. Hopes of crops surviving are nil as they have been under water since last four days. The district has recorded 57.7 percent excess rainfall during this Kharif season.
Paddy over 40,000 acres and cotton on 39,000 acres has been damaged in Enkoor, Kallur, Penuballi, Raghunathapalem, Tallada, Vemsoor and Konigerla mandals.
Prior to the rains, officials had expected to harvest 6.50 lakh tonnes of paddy during this season. Political parties have demanded that the state government extend liberal financial assistance to farmers.
Communist Party of India state secretary Chada Venkat Reddy said, “Government should take up relief measures immediately. Loss of crops is unexpected and the government is not serious about paying compensation”.
Bharatiya Kisan Morcha state president Kondapalli Sridhar Reddy said the state government must provide some relief to farmers immediately. Farmers in the district stand to lose Rs 15,000 per acre, he said.
