Unseasonal rains in Telangana have damaged standing crops in over 40,000 acres, excluding the loss to mango orchards and other horticulture crops. Most of the crops were either in the harvesting stage or reaching that stage.
The damage to paddy, maize and turmeric, both in the market yards and in the farm-fields, is yet to be assessed by authorities.
“The extent of damage is likely to go up in the next few days as there’s a forecast for rain and hailstorm for another two-three days. The present assessment of damage is arrived at based only on provisional estimates and the actual loss suffered by the farming community will be much higher,” official sources told The Hindu on Monday.
Preliminary reports of the damage to standing crops put nearly half of the loss in case of paddy at about 19,000 acres followed by sesamum (gingelly) – 13,500 acres, pearl millet (bajra) – 4,300 acres, maize – 1,500 acres and sorghum (jowar) 875 acres. The rains claimed the lives of four persons, while the number of houses damaged is also stated to be considerable.
Rs. 5 lakh ex gratia
Meanwhile, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao reviewed the situation arising out of untimely rains and assured farmers who had suffered crop damage and cattle loss and people whose houses were damaged that the government would come to their rescue.
He announced ex gratia payment of Rs. 5 lakh each to persons who had died in rains, lightning and hailstorm, and directed officials to send the details.
He directed Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma to call for reports from districts on damage/loss to crops, cattle and houses so that assistance could be provided at the earliest. State secretary of CPI (M) Tammineni Veerabhadram, R. Ravindra Kumar (CPI) and R. Chandrasekhar Reddy (TDP) requested the government to procure discoloured/damaged paddy from farmers on a war-footing through IKP and Markfed or else they would be forced into deep distress. The CPI (M) leader pointed out that the State and Central governments had compensated farmers to the extent of only Rs. 2,811 crore from 2010-11 to 2014-15 in Telangana against the loss of over Rs. 14,000 crore suffered by them in natural calamities.
