Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur   

Untimely rain hits horticulture crops

Staff Reporter

ANANTAPUR: Heavy winds, hailstorms and rain caused extensive damage to horticulture crops in several villages in the district during the last one-week. Damage of fruit plantations and crops like paddy and sunflower was reported in about 1,000 acres.

Loluru and half-a-dozen surrounding villages in Garladinne mandal plunged into darkness on Thursday night as power supply was snapped due to uprooting of electricity poles. There was a widespread rain in the district on Thursday and Friday night with Kalyanadurg mandal recording a highest of 65.8 mm.

In all, 29 mandals received more than 20 mm rainfall and another 30 recorded up to 20 mm rainfall. Unusually for the district, an average of 35 mm rainfall has been recorded so far this month from March 4. Normal rainfall for the month is 3 mm.

Heavy winds coupled with hailstorms and rain damaged papaya, banana, mango and pomegranate plantation and crops like paddy and sunflower badly during the last one week.

Heavy hailstorm coupled with heavy winds damaged papaya plantation completely in about 100 acres in in Pinjari Kottala, Nuthimadugu and few other villages in Kalyanadurg mandal. The loss has been estimated to be at Rs. 20 lakhs. In Loluru of Garladinne mandal, 54 electric poles were uprooted, a transformer was burnt and about a dozen huts collapsed in the hailstorm coupled with winds and rain later. As a result, power supply was cut off to several surrounding villages.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Untimely rain hits horticulture crops

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu