Rains continue to impact life, crops in Telangana

Average rainfall recorded till July 27 is 680.6 mm against normal of 358.6 mm

Widespread rain continues to impact normal life and crops across Telangana, although heavy rainfall from 64.5 mm to 115.5 mm was recorded only at seven places, moderate rain in the range of 15.6 mm to 64.4 mm occurred at another 150 places.

According to the Telangana State Development Planning Society data, a highest of 101.8 mm rain was recorded at Bandlaguda in Keesara mandal from 8.30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, followed by Dandumailaram 97.8 mm, Neredmet 95 mm, East Anandbagh 73.3 mm, Malkajgiri 67.5 mm, Singapur Township 66 mm and Kalwakurthy 64.5 mm.

Moderate to heavy rain has also lashed several parts of the State Capital leading to heavy traffic jams caused by storm water flooding the roads.

The State recorded an average of 680.6 mm rainfall till 8.30 a.m. on Friday against the normal of 358.6 mm for the June 1 to July 29 period of the southwest monsoon season with average 90% excess compared to normal rainfall. However, continuous rains have impacted the sowing and transplantation operations of the Kharif season resulting in cultivation of crops in little over 71.78 lakh acres till July 27 against 90.02 lakh acres covered till the same date last year.

Against the plans to promote cotton cultivation in about 70 lakh acres this season, the fibre crop is cultivated in only about 44.54 lakh acres till July 27. Similarly, sowing/transplantation of crops such as maize, red gram, green gram, black gram, soybean, paddy and others has also been affected due to excess rain. Of the extent covered by these crops, about one-fourth has been impacted by excess rain with washing away, siltation, inundation and decaying of plants.

Rains in the local catchment areas as well as in the upstream areas in Maharashtra and Karnataka continue to get flood to all projects in the Krishna and Godavari basins. Meanwhile, the flood and discharge at Medigadda has declined to 4.96 lakh cusecs with the authorities keeping the barrage in free flow condition.

Flood to Srisailam dam, which was in the measure of 43,500 cusecs at 9 p.m. on Friday, is forecast to go up again with the discharge on the rise at Almatti, Narayanpur, Tungabhadra and Jurala projects in the upstream of Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers.