Cyclone Montha damages crops in 4.5 lakh acres in Telangana: Thummala

Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao said Cyclone Montha damaged crops in four and a half lakh acres across Telangana. The government plans to compensate farmers with Rs 10,000 per acre and purchase soaked paddy. Relief camps were set up in Khammam

Khammam: As per preliminary estimates, standing crops in four and a half lakh acres were damaged across the State due to Cyclone Montha, said Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao.

The extent of crop damage might increase after a full-scale crop damage survey is conducted, and officials were told to collect the details quickly. The government is ready to provide compensation of Rs 10,000 per acre to the affected farmers and to purchase soaked paddy to support them, the Minister said.

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Nageswara Rao visited flood-affected families at the relief camp set up at Nayabazar School in Khammam on Thursday. Speaking to the media, he said the government had assessed the impact of Cyclone Montha in advance to take relief measures.

Munneru received heavy inflows from the upper reaches following a cloudburst in Warangal and Karimnagar districts. The district administration worked effectively in preventing human loss due to the floods, he said.