Heavy rains in many parts of AP

• Agricultural operations gain momentum
  
• More rains predicted in North Andhra

Visakhapatnam/Srikakulam/Tirupati: Low pressure area lies over North West Bay of Bengal and adjoining Odisha and West Bengal coast on Friday, according to the Cyclone Warning Centre here.

It said associated upper air circulation extends up to 6 kms and a trough from the system extends up to south Tamil Nadu across Odisha, coastal Andhra Pradesh and neighbourhood. Under its influence, rain or thunder showers would occur at many places over north coastal AP and at a few places over south coastal AP.

Strong surface winds from westerly direction speed reaching 45 to 50 kmph likely along and off south coastal AP. Isolated heavy rain also would occur over north coastal AP during next 24 hours, it added. The rain fall recorded in cm at 8.30 am on Friday at various places in the State Salur 7, Palasa 6, Kalingapatnam and Palasa 5 each, Pusapatirega, Vizianagaram, Bobbili, Gantyada and Ranasthalam 4 each, Sompeta, Visakhapatnam , Paderu, Mandasa, Denkada, Seethanagaram, Bondapalle, Cheepurupalli, Bhimunipatnam, Tekkali , Venkatagirikota, Tadipatri and Proddatur 3 each.

Srikakulam: Heavy rain lashed the district on Friday after two days of drizzle giving much relief to the farmers. The farmers had already launched agricultural operations after the water was released from various irrigation projects. The agricultural officials said that the rains would do a lot of good for the farmers.
Meanwhile, following heavy rains, the village tanks and wells were replenished solving the drinking water problem in various villages.

Tirupati: Agricultural operations began in most of the mandals in Chittoor district, thanks to the widespread rains in the district since Sunday last. With Met officials forecasting rains to continue for a few more days, the sowing is expected to gain momentum covering the most of the mandals in the district. The farmers in the drought-prone district were elated with the arrival of the rains, enabling them to take up the Kharif crops which were late due to delay in the on setting of monsoon.
In fact, the farmers were much worried on the prospect of Kharif crop with no rain till June end but at last happy at the arrival of rains.

According to official sources, the district had recorded an average rain fall of 107 mm so far (till July 11, 8 am) against the normal average rainfall of 120mm for July. With twenty days left, the district is expected to receive more than normal rainfall this month, officials said quoting Met official predicting 4 to 5 mm rains daily till Monday in the district. Agriculture assistant director Manohar said that sowing has taken up in 80 percent of the normal crop area in the district which was expected to achieve 100 per cent sowing of the normal crop area in a week. The normal crop area in the district was 1.35 lakh hectares in Kharif season.

He said that apart from distribution of about 40,000 quintal groundnut seed, 150 quintal of maize distributed to farmers in the Madanapalle area where farmers have taken up sowing up jowar also along with maize as dry crop.

RARS scientist Muralikrishna said that with present condition was more ideal for sowing, farmers could take up sowing seeds till July 15. Along with groundnut, farmers can take up dry crops including redgram, cow pea (Alasandalu) and field beans as intercrop.