The much-awaited southwest monsoon hit Anantapur district, the southwest portion of Andhra Pradesh on Friday with the district experiencing heavy rain from the early hours of Friday. The district recorded an average of 30 mm rainfall in the 24 hours ending 8.30 a.m. on Friday, but a few places experienced very heavy rain with thunderstorms.
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Anantapur city recorded 91 mm of rain in six hours from midnight, while Nambulapulakunta mandal registered 102.4 mm and Puttaparthi 100 mm.
With subsidised groundnut seeds distribution process nearing completion in another 10 days, farmers are preparing to sow the kharif crop as it has been raining for the past two days in the majority of the central and southern mandals of the district.
Puttaparthi, Amarapurm, N.P. Kunta, Bukkarayasamudram, and Rapthadu mandals had been experiencing rainfall for the past two days, and agricultural lands would be ready for sowing if there was 50 mm rainfall in three days, scientists at the Rekulakunta agriculture research said.
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Joint Director Agriculture Y. Ramakrishna said that so far 2.06 lakh farmers had registered for obtaining 1.76 lakh quintals of groundnut seed and 1.39 lakh quintals had been distributed, while the deadline for registration is June 17.
The India Meteorological Department in a release said the monsoon had advanced into most parts of coastal and south/north interior Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh and some parts of Tamil Nadu. The northern limit of monsoon now passes through Karwar, Anantapur, Arogyavaram, Vellore, Nagapattinam and it was very likely to advance further into some parts of Andhra Pradesh and some parts of Telangana in the next two to three days.