Chittoor receives excess rainfall in kharif season

Tirupati: The Chittoor district has received excess rainfall during the last kharif season (June–October) particularly in parts of western mandals including Kuppam, Madanapalli, V Kota and Punganur.

According to official sources, the district received 41.3 per cent excess rainfall in June with the actual rainfall 111.2 mm against the normal rainfall of 78.7 mm whereas it received 118.9 per cent excess rainfall in July with the actual rainfall of 223. 1 mm against normal rainfall of 101.9 mm. Coming to August, the district had received 28.8 per cent of excess rainfall with actual rainfall of 151.2 mm against the normal rainfall of 117. 4 mm.

This official data says the district received abundant rainfall in first two months of kharif season which caused all the tanks and water bodies in the district were full to their brim. As on today in September, the actual rainfall is 104.3 mm against 141.4 mm normal rainfall in the district.

Thanks to the excess rainfall this year, 44 mandals in the district have received 20 per cent excess rainfall whereas 19 mandals had normal rainfall (-19.9% to 20%) giving only three mandals experienced deficit rainfall. It is needless to say that the rains began farming activities and the crop area going up at many parts of the district. As per the rainfall recorded till 8 am on September 21, V Kota received 93 mm where as Kuppam mandal received 75 mm.

With the heavy water inflow from Karnataka catchment areas, the canals, rivulets located in Kuppam, V Kota, Madanapalli are overflowing. In V Kota mandal, the bridge at Nakkalapalli was collapsed led to hampering of vehicular traffic through this.

According to reports, Mavathuru, Pacharamakula Palli, Srikarlapalli, Kummar Madugu, Chinnasyama, Nagireddypalli village tanks are overflowing with gushing water.

Due to heavy rainfall, the Palamaneru–V Kota highways were damaged at many places causing disruption of vehicular movement. Due to breaching of Handri–Neeva canal at Kummara Madugu, the floodwaters entered the houses at some villages including Venkatepalli and surrounding villages by the evening on Tuesday.

According to information reaching here, the untimely rains has damaged crops in many areas and unconfirmed reports indicated that standing crops in 100-150 acres were damaged leaving the farmers in lurch.