Rains damage crops in 12 lakh acres across Telangana

HYDERABAD: Torrential rains that battered Telangana over the last few days have damaged crops spread across 12 lakh acres in the state. According to a preliminary estimate by agricultural officials, 20 per cent of cultivated crops might have been damaged due to the downpour. Crop loss was heavy in undivided Adilabad, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, Khammam, Medak, and Ranga Reddy districts.

Hoping for good rainfall in the ensuing Vanakalam (kharif) season, farmers had sown crops on around 53.79 lakh acre of farm land in the state. Cotton was sown in 38.48 lakh acres, followed by soyabean in 3.21 lakh acres, maize in 2.50 lakh acres, paddy in 2.58 lakh acres and pulses in 4.10 lakh acres.

Over the last few days, rains lashed north Telangana and neighbouring Maharashtra state, resulting in floods to the river Godavari. Heavy inflows reached the Sriramsagar project, Kadem dam, Sripada Yellampally and Kaleshwaram lift irrigation schemes. Due to incessant rains, crops got damaged at the germination stage itself. The chilli crop was also badly damaged in the catchment areas of the river Godavari.

According to preliminary reports, Warangal district reported heavy damage to crops. The farmers had sown cotton in 1.13 lakh acres, maize in 21,932 acres, red gram in 3,000 acres, groundnut in 5,000 acres and green gram in 600 acres. It is estimated that 90 per cent crops were damaged in Warangal district.

Farmers in Mulugu district heaved a sigh of relief as they did not sow the paddy. They are worried that the plantation of paddy was damaged due to incessant rains. However, vegetable crops were also damaged in undivided Ranga Reddy and other districts. Farmers said that they had incurred heavy losses due to the rains and they were forced to sow the seeds for a second time. However, the state government did not issue any orders over the assessment of crop damages.

For the last three years, the state government has not focused on crop damages as it was not implementing the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), a crop insurance scheme. For the sake of reference, agriculture extension officials are collecting damaged crop details from fields.