Rains bring cheer to farmers in Anantapur

Anantapur: The district experienced heavy rains on Saturday night accompanied by gales and thunder showers. Several electrical poles and trees were uprooted and power supply to 12 villages in Gooty Mandal was disrupted. However, people heaved a sigh of relief as the district was under hot spell since a long time. Rains continued throughout the night for five to six hours.

Low-lying areas in Anantapur were inundated and water entered the business establishments. Several horticulture plantations in the district were damaged, including papaya plantations in Guntakal. As many as three 33 kv electrical towers were collapsed due to high wind velocity.

However, hundreds of farm ponds dug by the MNREGS workers under the supervision of DRAMA were filled with rainwater, much to the delight of the farmers and the district administration. Highest rainfall of 140.06 was recorded in Hindupur and the lowest rainfall of 16 mm was registered in Bommanahal. Similarly, the considerable amount of rainfall was registered in Madakasira 132.2 mm, Lepakshi 118.9 mm, Parigi 99 mm and Azalai 109.07 mm.

The district average was 82.5 mm and the district total was 5,194 mm of rainfall. However, damages to crops are yet to be assessed. For groundnut farmers, the showers are welcome as they are beginning to sow groundnut seed while some are making preparations for telling.

Meanwhile, Collector Kona Sasidhar paid a visit to Kotanka village in Garladinne Mandal on learning of rainwater filling several farm ponds. He visited the farm pond of one Narayana Reddy and found his 10x10 size farm pond teeming with water with nearly four lakh litres of water.

Much to the excitement of all, he jumped into the farm pond and swam with delight saying that the rains came at a time when his horticulture plants were withering away. Speaking on the occasion, Sasidhar said that in the past 18 years, the people experienced 15 years of drought.

To fight drought, the Chief Minister had embarked upon digging one lakh farm ponds in the district to conserve every drop of rain water. More than 50,000 farm ponds had been grounded and 25,000 farm ponds have been filled with rain water with heavy rains lashing the district on Saturday night.

He said that on an average four cm of rainfall was recorded in every Mandal. Measures should be taken to increase ground water table by three to eight meters. The government, he said, has released Rs 160 crore for supplying of rain guns on subsidy to farmers.