Hyderabad: The Meteorological Department has warned of heavy rains in Telangana for two days under the impact of Cyclone Murasu. It has issued a red alert for Bhadradri Kothagudem, Khammam and Suryapet districts. Officials said the cyclone crossed the coast between Nellore and Narsapuram near Ongole in the early hours of Tuesday. It is moving northwestwards and is likely to weaken gradually as it comes closer to Telangana.
The department has issued an orange alert for Mahabubabad district. It has also issued a yellow alert for Mulugu, Warangal, Hanumakonda, Janagama, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri and Nalgonda districts. Officials said the intensity of rains in the state is likely to decrease gradually, as the cyclone’s impact is likely to fall from Thursday.
In the last 24 hours, Ashwaraopet in Bhadradri Kothagudem district recorded 6.10 cm of rain. Naidupeta received 5.60 cm, Malkaram 5.40 cm, Vensur in Khammam district 5.23 cm and Sadashivapalem 4.78 cm. Adilabad, Suryapet, Mulugu, Mahabubabad and Nalgonda districts received moderate rainfall at places, officials said.
The India Meteorological Department has also warned that another cyclone is likely to form in the Bay of Bengal by 15 November. Officials said the department will give complete clarity on this on 9 or 10 November. They estimate that this cyclone is likely to cross the coast between Nellore and Chittoor districts in Andhra Pradesh. Officials warned that it may have a severe impact on South Coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema and Tamil Nadu.
Crops damaged in Khammam, Suryapet and Nalgonda
Namaste Telangana reported from Khammam on 3 November that farmers are worried about crops on thousands of acres. The rains of the past two days, under the cyclone’s impact, have damaged them. Farmers are preparing to harvest cotton and fear that rain and cold winds will hurt its quality, yield and remunerative price. They also fear that strong winds will flatten the paddy. Farmers who have invested heavily in the crops worry that natural disasters will cost them money.
Cotton is dripping from the trees in Choppakatlapalem in Bonakallu mandal of Khammam district. The paddy crop has fallen to the ground in Ramachandrapuram, Kalluru mandal and Tallada mandal. Farmers in Snanala Lakshmipuram of Vaira mandal struggled to cover their paddy fields with tarpaulins to keep them dry.
The rain also damaged crops in Penpahad, Chilukuru, Suryapet Rural, Mellachervu, Mathampally and Kodad in Suryapet district, and in Saligauraram in Nalgonda district. The paddy crop was destroyed, and the cotton crop suffered severe damage.