Date:06/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/06/stories/2008040659090700.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Sudden rain with hailstorm wreaks havoc

Staff Reporter

Many houses belonging to poorer sections damaged in Nalgonda district

— PHOTO: SINGAM VENKATA RAMANA

Nature’s fury: People trying to pull out a car from a pit filled with rainwater in Nalgonda town on Saturday.

NALGONDA: Sudden rain coupled with hailstorm wreaked havoc in some villages of Bhoodan Pochampally, Choutuppal and Chityal mandals in Nalgonda district on Saturday. While about 400 acres of paddy got damaged in Pochampally mandal, hundreds of chickens were perished at Choutuppal mandal headquarters due to the impact of the hailstones.

“Hailstones, weighing about half kilogram, severely damaged the poultry shed owned by Mutyala Mohan Reddy and more than 2,000 chickens died after being hit by them,” the Communist Party of India (Marxist) district secretary Nandhyala Narasimha Reddy said in a press release. The Bhongir Revenue Divisional Officer Lakshmi told The Hindu that the officials were on the job of assessing the damaged caused by the flash hailstorm.

Dharmojigudem and Lakkaram were reportedly worst hit villages in Choutuppal mandal. “We are taking every care to rehabilitate the victims if necessary,” the official told The Hindu over phone.

The Pochampally tahasildar K.Vidyasagar, who visited the affected areas and interacted with farmers, said that six villages—Antammagudem, Dhotigudem, Jublakpalli, Pochampally, Sivareddygudem, Mukthapur and Kanumukkala—experienced rain coupled with hailstones.

Chinna Kaparthy, Pittampally, Gundrampally, Velminedu and Sunkenapally villages in Chityal mandal also suffered losses, according to the CPI (M) press release. Many houses belonging to poorer sections were also damaged, it maintained.

Compensation

The party demanded that the Government pay Rs.10,000 as compensation for the farmers who incurred loss because of the sudden natural calamity.

“It should waive the debts and give away fresh loans for the victims. The administration should come to the rescue of poor by bearing the cost of relocating their roofs,” Mr. Narasimha Reddy said.

Many areas in the district experienced rain in the district. The under ground drainage project works came to a standstill for the day as rain water filled the pits made for the purpose.