Rains, hail cause widespread damage to crops in Nizamabad

Nizamabad: Untimely rains accompanied by hail storm led to the death of a young woman and loss of crops in erstwhile Nizamabad district during the past two days.

Heavy rains lashed Nizamabad and Kamareddy districts on Monday and Tuesday. According to Agriculture Officer R Tirumala Prasad, various crops on 3,097 acres were damaged due to Monday's rain in Nizamabad district. Paddy crop was lost in 80 villages in seven mandals in Nizamabad district on Tuesday. 2,208 farmers have lost 2,432 hectares of paddy crop. Bajra crop has been damaged in two villages, in 52 acres. Sesame crop was lost in 610 acres. 702 mandirai sesame farmers are arrested.

In Nizamabad and Kamareddy districts, the hailstorm caused the huge crop loss to the mango plantations along with paddy, maize, sajjas and sesame and other crops. Due to heavy hailstorm, all the paddy seeds fell on the ground in the fields ready for harvest.

At the paddy purchasing center and along the road paddy kept for drying were drenched in rains. In Mepkal mandal, paddy fields flooded with rainwater. Due to gusty winds, large trees and power poles were uprooted and broken in many areas.

Meanwhile, a woman was killed in mishap in Bhikkanur mandal of Kamareddy district on Tuesday.

Neella Padma (38) of Bhagirthipalli along with Srikanth of the same village was going from Ramayampeta to Bhagirthipalli on a bike when a roadside tree broke and fell on them. Padma died on the spot while Srikanth sustained injuries.The farmers are worried that paddy has been washed away by the rainwater.

A woman Megawat Sandhya (55) of Nizamsagar mandal Ausula Tanda of Kamareddy district attempted suicide by drinking insecticide. She took this decision because she was upset that the 3 acre farm was damaged by the hail that fell at night. She was taken to Nizamabad hospital for treatment.