Crops raised in over 11,000 acres damaged by rains in Mancherial, Asifabad

Vemanapalli mandal received the highest rainfall of 760 mm as against 460 mm, posting an excess by 65 percent.

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: Standing crops in 11,410 acres were damaged by incessant rains in both Mancherial and Kumram Bheem Asifabad districts recently causing huge loses to farmers, according to surveys carried out by agriculture officials.

Mancherial district saw 533 mm of rainfall as compared to the normal rainfall of 439 from June 1 to July 27, reflecting an excess by 21 percent. Vemanapalli mandal received the highest rainfall of 760 mm as against 460 mm, posting an excess by 65 percent. While normal life was disrupted, standing cotton, soya, sorghum and many other crops were damaged by rains.

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Officials said that crops being raised in 7,497 acres were submerged in 42 villages of Vemanapalli, Kotapalli and Bheemini mandals of Mancherial district. Crops in 3,725 acres were affected in 20 villages Kotapalli mandal, while Vemanapalli and Bheemini mandals saw crop damage by 3,660 acres and 112 acres, respectively. A total of 4,201 farmers registered losses due to the crop damage.

Meanwhile, crops grown in 3,913 acres were inundated in 27 villages of Kumram Bheem Asifabad district, according to officials. Bejjur mandal registered crop damage in 1,359 acres, followed by Dahagaon mandal which recorded crop damage in 1,220 acres. Crops in 638 acres in Penchikalet, 596 acres in Chintalamanepalli and 100 acres in Sirpur (T) mandal were damaged due to downpours.

The actual rainfall of Kumram Bheem Asifabad district was 583 mm against the normal rainfall of 447 mm from June 1 to July 24, reflecting an excess by 31 percent. The district had an excess rainfall of 141 percent when compared to the normal between July 17 and 24, affecting normal life and damaging the crops.

K Ramana, a farmer from Kotapalli mandal said he raised a cotton crop in 3 acres which got submerged by floods. He said he grew the crop by borrowing money from a private lender following delay in Rythu Bharosa scheme. He requested the government to support farmers by releasing compensation to crop damage at the earliest.