GUNTUR: Heavy rains and floods have wreaked havoc in Guntur district, causing extensive damage to various crops across over 40,000 hectares. Preliminary reports indicate that 40,735.2 hectares of crops, including paddy, mirchi, and other horticulture crops, have been affected, leaving more than 6,000 farmers in distress.
Paddy has suffered the most, with 28,628 hectares damaged, followed by cotton on 2,361 hectares, urad dal on 542 hectares, soya bean in 86.4 hectares, sesame seeds in 9.4 hectares, green gram in 10.8 hectares, jute in 84.4 hectares, toor dal in 16 hectares, maize in 6.8 hectares and sugarcane in 4.4 hectares. Among horticulture crops, banana cultivation on 2,790 hectares, vegetables on 2,516 hectares, turmeric on 2,334 hectares, and chilli on 383 hectares lemon in 375 hectares, papaya in 52 hectares, betel plants in 88 hectares, guava in 12 hectares and various flower crops in 436 hectares have been hit hard.
Farmers, who were earlier buoyed by a good monsoon and filled water reservoirs, are now grappling with the aftermath of unexpected floods. Over 10 lakh acres in the erstwhile Guntur and Prakasam district are under cultivation under Nagarjuna Sagar’s right canal ayacut.
K Ramababu, a tenant farmer in Tenali, lamented the loss of his entire 16 acres of mixed crops, stating, “I have invested Rs 6 lakh, but the floods have destroyed everything. I can’t even recover my investment, let alone make any profit.”
M Paidithalli, a farmer in Tadepalli, expressed concern over his paddy crops, which are at risk of destruction if floodwaters are not drained soon. “If the government doesn’t step in, we cannot survive these losses,” he added.
The farmers fear that the toll could rise significantly if the rains persist in the next few days. Agriculture department officials, including Horticulture Director Dr K Srinivasulu, have inspected the damage and are advising farmers on precautionary measures. The full extent of the damage is yet to be assessed, as many fields remain submerged, and further rains could exacerbate the situation.
Officials have been directed to stay on high alert and provide all possible assistance to the affected farmers once the floodwaters recede.
