Andhra Pradesh: Farmers in distress following heavy rainfall

Following heavy rainfall in the state, the farmers here on Wednesday were distressed as waterlogging destroyed the agricultural crops.

With agricultural lands filled with rainwater and standing crops damaged, farmers lamented that their efforts have been wasted and they have to incur huge losses.

"We are farming groundnut crop. It has been raining for almost a week. The crop yielded untimely. Now the yield is rotting. I have invested Rs 50,000 per acre. For that, I mortgaged gold and took a loan from a bank. Nothing of this crop will be useful. I am totally at loss. In our village, almost 400 acres of the crop is badly damaged. The government should help us," said a farmer from Tallapalem.

Another farmer while explaining his ordeal said: "I am farming in one and a half-acre. The crop is damaged due to rains for almost a week. No official is coming to us. We have been sending messages through WhatsApp but nobody is responding. See how bad the crop is damaged. Till now I have invested Rs 80,000. We are left with no option other than committing suicide. At least now the officials should come and provide some compensation."

Adding to the woes of the farmer, the Indian Meteorological Department has predicted heavy to heavy rainfall in the state during next 48 hours.

"Fairly widespread to widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy falls likely over Coastal Andhra Pradesh during next 2 days," said IMD in its bulletin.

( With inputs from ANI )