Unseasonal rains wreak havoc; 17 dead in Andhra, UP, MP also affected

New Delhi: Seventeen people have died in Andhra Pradesh in the past two days due to heavy rainfall. The unseasonal rains have also wreaked havoc across most of the agricultural belt with Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh being the worst hit.

In Andhra Pradesh, rains hit all the three regions of state with Krishna and neighbouring Guntur receiving the heaviest rains. Paddy maize and gram over at least 1.5 lakh hectares were lost. Horticulture crops like mango, chilli and vegetables over another 1.5 lakh hectares, too, were damaged.

In Uttar Pradesh, the unseasonal rains have caused havoc to wheat sugarcane and other crops. The extent of damage is yet to be estimated.

In Andhra Pradesh, rains hit all the three regions of state with Krishna and neighbouring Guntur receiving the heaviest rains.

Incessant rains and hailstorm have damaged crops in half a dozen districts in Madhya Pradesh. Narsinghpur, Dewas, Ratlam, Seoni, Hoshangabad and Mandla districts suffered the most. Wheat and gram crops are the worst hit. Officials begin assessing the extent of damage on Monday.

With rains through January and February, the damage to standing crops this season has been substantial. To add to the farmers' worries, more rains are predicted across the country over the next few days.

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