Untimely rains cause rs 100 crore crop loss in AP

Hyderabad, Mar 11 (UNI) Crops worth more than Rs 100 crore has been in damaged in Andhra Pradesh, which was hit by untimely rains in the last four days putting the farmers into untold hardship.

The state was likely to get more rains in the next 48 hours under the influence of an upper air circulation extending from Western Madhya Pradesh to Southern Peninsula, the Weather office here said.

According to reports receieved by the Disaster Management office at the Secretariat, the preliminary estimates of crop loss was assessed at Rs 100 crore.

Prakasam district and Anantapur districts bore the brunt of the rain fury. Groundnut, paddy and other crops were damaged in the rains, official sources said, adding that Maize, Paddy, vegetable and horticultural crops worth in over 30,000 acres were damaged in Karimnagar district as also grapes orchids in and around Hyderabad.

Ongole recording a very heavy rainfall of 13 cm, the Weather Office here said.

UNI SM PA HT2145