Rain kills five in Telangana, crop loss at 100 crore

HYDERABAD: Heavy rain accompanied by strong wind and hail left a trail of destruction in several parts of Telangana on Thursday.
A man died after a portion of his house collapsed in Warangal, while two people were killed n Nalgonda and one each in Rangareddy and Warangal in rain related incidents. Normal life was hit hard with road transport disrupted due to fall of trees on arterial roads. Power supply was disrupted and scores of villages plunged into darkness.

Though the sudden downpour brought the much-needed relief from the sweltering summer heat, it caused untold damage to farmers in several districts across the state. Standing crop spread over thousands of acres was flattened.

Unseasonal rains damage paddy and maize, mango crop worst hit

Heavy downpour on Thursday damaged crops in several parts of Telangana. Even the farm produce brought to market yards for sale was damaged. Thousands of quintals of paddy and maize was exposed to rainwater as farmers had little time to cover them with tarpaulins. Stock had piled up at many market yards either due to shortage of lorries or lack of remunerative prices.

This is the third time this summer that farmers in many parts of Telangana had suffered crop losses due to unseasonal rains. Mango crop was worst hit. Cotton and chilli crop was also affected. Hundreds of acres of vegetable crops, particularly leafy vegetables, were inundated by heavy rains accompanied by hailstones. The crop and yield loss is being pegged at ₹100 crore.

Heavy rain lashed Khammam and Bhadradri-Kothagudem districts on Thursday morning causing severe damage to crop. By evening, the rains spread across Warangal-Urban, Warangal-Rural, Karimnagar, Yadadri, Mancherial, Nalgonda, Bhupalapalli, Suryapet, Medchal, Rangareddy, Sangareddy, Medak and Siddipet districts. A few tin sheets of Warangal railway station were blown away by strong wind.

A 70-year-old man, Ayodhya, died at SR Nagar in Warangal after a portion of his house collapsed. Electricity poles fell over a house in Warangal. Huge trees were uprooted at several places. A century-old Peepul tree was uprooted in Siddipet.

e-Seva centres did not function due to power outages in Warangal. Students applying for various competitive examinations were affected. Many could not download hall tickets. Services were paralyzed in government and private hospitals, including MGM Hospital.

About 300 quintals of paddy was damaged in Jammikunta market yard of Karimnagar district. Traffic on Jagtyal, Manthani, Mahamuttaram and Kaleshwaram roads was hit. Warangal-Karimnagar highway was the worst hit. About 10,000 bags of red chilli and turmeric were drenched in rainwater at Enumamula agricultural market. Annamaneni Gopal Rao, CMD of TSNPDCL, told TOI that about 200 poles were uprooted and power supply was being restored on a war footing.

Venkatapuram and Burgampadu in Khammam district recorded 30 mm of rainfall, followed by Bhadrachalam and Aswaraopet 20 mm and Aswapuram, Pinapaka and Manuguru 10 mm. The highest maximum temperature of 43 degrees Celsius on Thursday was recorded at Adilabad and Nizamabad.