The continuous spell of rain for the last three days inflicted a major blow to the farmers, particularly cotton, paddy, and maize growers in the district.
According to unconfirmed reports, heavy rain that lashed several parts of the district in the last few days caused severe damage to standing cotton crop in over 40,000 hectares.
The unexpected rains also damaged standing paddy crop on an extensive scale mainly in Thallada, Kallur, Sattupally, Wyra, and several other mandals at the crucial harvesting stage, sources added. Maize, chilli and vegetable growers also suffered major losses due to the rain devastation in Bayyaram, Mudigonda, Yellendu, Tirumalayapalem, Kusumanchi, Wyra and various other mandals across the district.
In a statement, the CPI (M) district secretary P. Sudarshan Rao demanded that the government should initiate urgent steps to ensure purchase of the wet cotton, paddy and other agriculture produce from the farmers at minimum support price and payment of compensation of Rs. 10,000 per acre to each rain-affected farmer.
In a separate statement, Khammam MP Nama Nageswara Rao said the cotton, paddy, chilli, maize, banana and tobacco farmers suffered extensive crop losses to the tune of Rs. 5 crore due to heavy rain that battered the district in the last couple of days.
Review meet
He demanded that the government should take up enumeration of crop losses and provide compensation to the rain ravaged farmers on a war footing. He further wanted the government to set up special counters to purchase the discoloured paddy, cotton, maize and other agriculture produce from the farmers at MSP to bail them out from the current crisis.
Meanwhile, Collector I Srinivas Sri Naresh reviewed the situation arising out of the incessant rains in the district with the officials concerned here on Friday evening.
He asked the Agriculture department officials to undertake field visits to assess the crop damage and submit detailed reports at the earliest.
This article has been corrected for an editing error.
