Cyclone Murasu: Rythu Sangham wants Rs 30, 000 compensation per acre for food crops

Cyclone Murasu damaged standing and harvested crops across erstwhile Khammam. Preliminary estimates put losses at over 10,000 acres in Kothagudem and substantial areas in Khammam district. Farmers and political leaders have sought crop assessments, procurement support and compensation from government.

Khammam: Cyclone Murasu has had a devastating impact on farmers, who were already troubled by El Nino conditions during the kharif crop season in erstwhile Khammam.

Standing crops that were ready for harvest across a large area have been damaged, along with harvested produce. According to preliminary estimates, crops in over 10,000 acres were damaged by the cyclonic rains in Kothagudem district.

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According to B Babu Rao of the district agriculture office, paddy in 6,200 acres, cotton in 2,700 acres and black gram in 1,200 acres have been damaged. Dammapet and Mulakalapalli mandals, which received extreme rainfall, and Bhadrachalam, Chunchupally, Aswaraopet, Burgampad, Paloncha and Kothagudem, where very heavy rainfall was recorded, were the worst-affected areas in Kothagudem district.

Agriculture department officials are currently collecting detailed information on crop losses from the field. Farmers have been advised to take immediate steps to drain the accumulated rainwater from their fields, Babu Rao informed.

According to preliminary estimates, paddy in 25,000 acres, cotton in 50,000 acres and chilli in around 8,000 acres have been damaged in Khammam district, as Sathupalli, Penuballi, Madhira, Enkoor, Tallada and Vemsoor recorded extreme to heavy rainfall due to Cyclone Murasu.

BRS former MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah demanded that the State government purchase paddy and cotton soaked by cyclonic rains in erstwhile Khammam. He wanted officials to prepare comprehensive reports on crop losses to help the affected farmers.

Telangana Rythu Sangham district secretary Bonth Rambabu demanded that the government pay compensation of Rs 30,000 per acre for food crops such as paddy and Rs 50,000 per acre for commercial crops such as cotton.

The leaders wanted the government to speed up the crop-loss estimation process and release funds to compensate the affected farmers immediately, as the government had failed to provide any succour to farmers during earlier instances of crop damage.