Hailstorm creates havoc

Gajwel: The untimely rains accompanied with hails have been damaging the crops in hundreds of acres in Medak and Siddipet districts since Tuesday. 

More than 500 acres of the Rabi season crops such as paddy, maize, musk-melon, water melon, kheera and mango in Allapur, Ghanapur, Narsampally, Malkapur and Venkatayapally villages in Toopran mandal, Bangla Venkatapur and Rangampet villages in Gajwel mandal coming under Gajwel constituency have been damaged by the hails on Thursday and Friday. 

The farmers are agonised as more than 30 percent of the crops were damaged. They urged the government to support them by providing compensation for the withered crops. The hailstorms and thunders created havoc causing death of 3 persons including a minor girl and domestic animals till Thursday. 

Kondapaka, Toopran, mandals were hit by the hails on Friday in Siddipet district. Gajwel Area Development Authority (GADA) OSD M Hanumantha Rao and R&B Coroporation Chairman T Narsa Reddy and Housing Corporation chairman Bhoomiu Reddy visited the damaged crops in Toopran mandal on Thursday. The officials said the farmers need to report the damage of their crops to the village revenue officials to get the compensation. 

The VROs will assess the damage of all seasonal the crops and will forward the data to the concerned department with the co-ordination of agriculture officers, said the GADA OSD with the farmers who poured out their woes.

Gajwel Tahsildar along with Gajwel Madal Agriculture Officer Praveen Kumar visited the spoiled crops in the area and assessed the damage up to 20 percent in the area and assured the farmers of the compensation for the loss of ripen crops due to the hails sized more than 2 cm.  Meanwhile, the dismal weather has become the nightmare for the farmers in the district as the Met Department still forecasts more rains with thunders and hails across the state.