The harvested paddy crop was hit by the heavy rain on Friday in Anantapur district with farmers in Kannekal and D. Hirehal mandals getting affected due to inundation of the storage spaces in the open.
The usually dry river Vedavathi (also known as Hagari) that originates from the Western Ghats of Karnataka flows through Ballari district into Andhra Pradesh, witnessed inflows leading to inundation of farmers’ harvested crop in Kanekal Mandal. Farmers had to toil overnight and in the morning to retrieve the paddy that was kept ready for sale or for handing over at the procurement centre through the Civil Supplies Department from May 25.
Paddy is grown in about 6,700 hectares in Anantapur district mainly in Rayadurg, Kannekal, D. Hirehal, Garladinne, and Singanamala Mandals and the registration process had begun on May 1..
Anantapur district experienced 70.2 mm of rainfall against a normal of 23.1, recording 203.9% excess for the month of May so far. On Friday the total rainfall was 1416.8 mm in the district with an average of 22.5 mm. Beluguppa Mandal recorded 80.2 mm, the highest, followed by Rayadurg 62.4 mm, Roddam 57 mm and Kambadur 56 mm.
For the three summer months against the normal of 39.2 mm, the district recorded 103.6 mm, an excess of 164.3%. Kurnool district on the other hand got 70.2 mm against a normal of 38.5 recording an excess of 82%.
