Downpour of damages

Rains, hailstorm and gusty winds cause loss of crops

Thundershowers have brought tears to farmers in parts of Tumkur, Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts.

Heavy rains and high velocity winds damaged crops in grape and mango farms in many parts of Chikkaballapur and Srinivasapur, while in Sira and Madhugiri taluks of Tumkur district hailstorm destroyed paddy crop in vast agriculture tracts.

The Tumkur and Chikkaballapur district administrations  have estimated the total loss suffered by farmers. But for the Kolar district administration the actual field assessment has been a difficult task as rains continued with high speed winds on Wednesday.

Aruru, Pillagundahalli, Bandahalli, Shettigere villages in Chikkaballapur district are the worst hit. Gusty winds caused severe damage to grape farms, shattering the farmers’ hope.  Similar is the plight of paddy growers in Sira and Madhugiri taluks in Tumkur.

The hailstorm on Monday destroyed paddy grown in villages of Kallambella hobli.

According to preliminary studies by the district administration paddy grown in 400 acres, 1,200 areca trees, banana farms spread over 20 acres, more than 100 coconut trees in Sira taluk alone, are razed to the grounds. Mango production, for which Kolar is known, is expected to come down by 15 to 20 per cent as the farms in Srinivaspura are affected by the downpour.

Parts of Mulbagal and Srinivaspura taluks in the district experienced heavy rains on Monday. Around 40 houses have been damaged. However officers have not been able to conduct a survey to estimate the total loss due to rains.

Summer showers

Karnataka receives nearly 12 per cent of its average annual rainfall (140mm) during the pre-monsoon period. The summer showers prepare the ground for kharif. Professor of Agrometeorology (UAS) M B Raje Gowda said, summer showers prompt farmers take up ploughing. In some areas farmers go for cultivation of leguminous crops - horse gram, cowpea. In Chamarajnagar farmers begin cultivation of sunflower. In parts of North Karnataka farmers prefer ragi during this period. He said, summer showers is due to local atmospheric conditions.

Compensation packages

After assessing the loss caused by the heavy rains the district administrations are working out compensation packages to farmers. Chikkaballapur Deputy Commissioner Anwar Pasha said, 207 families in Chikkaballapur taluk have been affected by the rains.

Agriculture crops - paddy, vegetables, and horticulture crops, grape farms, grown in over 305 acres were damaged due to hailstones. The district administration would grant compensation after assessing the loss suffered by each family. Tumkur DC H R Srinivas said that standing paddy crop in Sira and Madhugiri were the worst hit in the district.