Widespread rain all over State

By Our Special Correspondent.

HYDERABAD, AUG. 4. Even as a Central team to study drought conditions is arriving here on Monday, Andhra Pradesh received widespread rainfall all over the State today when the monsoon became active under the influence of a low pressure area that crossed the coast in Orissa today.

Narsampet in Srikakulam district received 12 c.m. of rain while Tekkali got 11 c.m., Bhadrachalam 9 c.m. and Yellandu, Huzurabad and Koida received 6 c.m. rain. Mangalagiri, Tenali, Sattenapalli got 5 c.m. Parigi in Ranga Reddy district and Peruru in Khammam received 4 c.m. while Rajahmundry, Kalingapatnam, Miryalguda, Dubbaka and Eturunagaram got 3 c.m. each.

The rain has been beneficial to paddy seedlings in the delta areas. About 1,700 cusecs of water was released into the Kakatiya canal from the Sriramsagar Project in Pochampad.

According to Mr. Bhadram, Director, Meteorological Centre, the State has been receiving good rain from July 31 and there has been widespread rain in the past three days with spells of heavy rain. The Weather office has forecast moderate to rather heavy rain in most places in Telangana and at many places over coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema. Isolated heavy rain is forecast at some places in the State.

Sowing of dry crops

Our Special Correspondent in Vijayawada reports: The drought situation was considerably eased and agricultural operations gained momentum thanks to the widespread rain received in Krishna, Guntur and West Godavari districts.

As Prakasam barrage is receiving nearly 5,000 cusecs of water from the intermediary catchment area from Munneru and Peluru rivulets, irrigation officials today sent a message asking Nagarjuna Sagar project authorities not to release water.

They are releasing only 5,000 cusecs into the Krishna eastern main canal and 3,000 cusecs into the Krishna western main canal. As the fields have been inundated in areas like Kankipadu, Bandar and other coastal areas, which received copious rain, officials closed the irrigation canals in these areas.

They are, however, sending water to Kowtharam and other areas which have not received water, said Mr. V. Suryanarayana Murthy, Superintending Engineer, Irrigation, Krishna delta.

Though paddy crop was transplanted only in 20 per cent of the area in Krishna eastern delta till July-end for want of rain and lack of water in the canals, the rain in the last three days helped complete transplantation on 2.5 lakh acres.

Even in the upland areas, dry crops like greengram, redgram, cotton sown on about 20,000 hectares withered away. But farmers are still waiting for rain to take up sowings in these areas. In Guntur district, the rain proved to be highly helpful for sowing dry crops in the upland areas.

The farmers could sow cotton, chilli and redgram only on 30 per cent of the area till July end.

The recent rains have helped increase the area to 70 per cent.

In West Godavari district, paddy crop has been transplanted on normal area, thanks to flows in Godavari at Dowleswaram. Agricultural operations have, however, been hampered in the upland areas where farmers raise paddy, sugarcane and coconut under borewells.

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