HYDERABAD : Prakasam district has suffered a crop loss of Rs. 3.4 crores in the recent spell of rain and hailstorm. Medak comes next with over Rs. 2.42-crore loss, followed by Anantapur with more than Rs. 51.78 lakhs. Four houses worth Rs. 24,000 and two cattle were also lost in Medak district.

Official reports reaching the State headquarters here on Sunday put this tentative estimate of financial loss suffered in Prakasam district, which included paddy (1,380 hectares), paddy heaps (1,416), bengal gram (1,200) and other heaps (1,027).

In Medak, damage was listed as paddy (995.38 acres), sugarcane (806.37), maize (111.38), wheat (130.06), vegetables (97.0), sesamum (55.38), sunflower (174.21), groundnut (21.27), castor (2.32), onion (0.1111) and other crops 40.34. The total crop loss was estimated to be 1,325.34 acres.

In Anantapur district, rain/hailstorm affected seven villages and a total crop area of 155.42 hectares, the value of which was Rs. 51,78,400. The break-up of damage was banana (1.60 hectares), paddy (67.59), sunflower (65.65), jawar and maize (0.80), drumsticks (0.40), flower plants (0.30), papaya (18.16) and tomato (0.12).

Officials said reports of damage and crop loss were still coming.

Rythu Sangham's plea

Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangham has urged the administration to enumerate the crop loss sustained in different parts of the State following the recent unseasonal rain and hailstorm.

In a statement issued here on Sunday, B. Tulasidas, president, and S. Malla Reddy, secretary, said there was severe damage to crops like chilli, banana, mango and sunflower.

In some villages the loss on account of hailstorm was much more.

They appealed to the Government to pay cash as compensation now itself instead of providing input subsidy next season.

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