After continuous years of drought, early rains this year raised a ray of hope for farmers in the district.
For the first time in the last several years, the district received timely rain in the form of pre-monsoon showers, even as the monsoon advanced into India on Wednesday helping farmers till their land and go in for early sowing. The kharif season, which generally starts in June in Anantapur, has been delayed over the years. However, with the district receiving incessant rain for the last four days, agricultural activities have also started early.
Over the last days, the district received more than 1500 mm rainfall taking the total rainfall in the month to well over 2300 mm, an excess rainfall of over 30 per cent for the district during this period of the year.
In the last two days, the district received close to 1000 mm rainfall with the towns like Dharmavaram having its streets flooded with rainwater.
Dharmavaram town received close to 65 mm rainfall, while the adjoining mandals of Mudigubba and Battalapalli received over 20 mm of rainfall.
While a majority of mandals in the district received good rainfall, in some mandals such as Gummagatta (4.3 mm), Brahma Samudram (7.6 mm) and Gandlapenta (6.9 mm), it was low.
However, farmers are hopeful of a good monsoon this year.
Usually an early monsoon means well spaced out intervals of rain which could prevent long spells of dry season.
We hope a good rainfall this year which results in better harvest, says Pradeep Kumar Reddy, a farmer from the Tadipatri mandal.
District experiencing rain for
the last four days and agricultural activities start early
