Rains, Cyclone Montha ravage 475 acres in Ranga Reddy

Rangareddy: The beginning of November marked the end of a refreshing rainy spell that lasted nearly four months this year. Although the monsoon began late in July, it brought pleasant winds and plentiful showers across the region.

However, this prolonged rainy season left behind widespread crop damage—particularly in Rangareddy district, where 48 villages were affected by continuous rainfall.

Already struggling with intermittent monsoon showers, farmers faced a double blow when Cyclone Montha struck, destroying what remained of their standing crops.

According to a report from the Agriculture Department, 475 acres of crops across 48 villages were damaged as of October 30, impacting 315 farming families this season.

Paddy and cotton crops suffered the most damage, with 466 acres of paddy and 12 acres of cotton affected by persistent rainfall.

The worst-hit mandals include Yacharam, Kandukur, Madgul, Keshampet, Balapur, Amangal, Manchal, Farooqnagar, Ibrahimpatnam and Talakondlapally, which recorded the highest crop losses.

Yacharam mandal reported the highest crop damage with 224 acres of paddy destroyed, followed by Keshampet, which saw losses across 141 acres and Talakondlapally, where 104 acres of crops were damaged.

This extensive destruction across the three mandals highlights the severe impact of continuous rains and subsequent flooding on agricultural fields in the district.Much of the destruction occurred in standing paddy fields, where crops were damaged due to waterlogging, lodging, and submergence, leaving little scope for recovery.

The report added that the cyclone caused severe losses in at least four mandals, damaging 475.2 acres and affecting 225 farmer families.