Heavy rain has caused considerable damage to crops and disrupted life in some parts of Bidar district. Rains began on September 13 and gained intensity till September 16 and then subsided on Friday.
The district has received a total 644 mm of rain this monsoon, compared to the average 591 mm. In September alone, the district got 225 mm of rain, in place of the average 168 mm for the same period.
The highest was in Bhalki, that got 342 mm as against 177 mm. Humnabad got 224 against 168, Aurad 212 against 154, and Basavakalyan 211 against 190. Bidar, though, received 147 mm while the average for the period is 183 mm.
Connection between Khed and Sangam villages in Aurad taluk has been cut off as water began flowing over the Sangam bridge over Manjra river.
Water has entered fields in Sonal, Sonal Wadi, Horandi and Kalagapur, damaging soya, black gram, and red gram crops. “The quality of crops I got this year was the best in recent years. But a large part of my field has been damaged by excess rain and water inflow,” said Ankush Hanumashetty, a farmer in Sonal.
Tank breaches
A breach in the tank in Kalasadal village is said to have damaged crops on over 500 acres in Bhalki taluk. Water is flowing over the old bridge in Saigaon in Bhalki taluk and people are using the new bridge.
District in-charge Minister Eshwar Khandre has asked officials to begin a crop loss survey and send a crop loss compensation claim to the State government. He inspected flooded areas in Bidar city on Saturday. He instructed Public Works department officers to repair roads and city municipal council officers to repair drains.
Deputy Commissioner Anurag Tewari has asked officials to conduct a detailed survey of damage to roads, bridges, buildings and other public assets. Preliminary reports indicate increase in the number of potholes, and damage to some small bridges across streams, he said.
Rail traffic hit
South Central railway stopped traffic on the Bidar-Hyderabad line after the earth caved in below the tracks near Sadashivpet in Telangana.
Trains plying from Bidar and arriving at the station were cancelled or diverted for a day. Several trains were delayed or rescheduled on Friday and Saturday.
