Incessant rain that lashed Ongole and other parts of Prakasam district on Tuesday revived the hopes of the farmers in the drought-prone district for a good crop during the kharif season.
The fast-filling reservoirs across the river Krishna, including Srisailam, also brought cheers to the farmers. The rainfall deficit came down to a 3.6% as on July 26 after the downpour continued for hours under the influence of a weather system that has developed in the Westcentral Bay of Bengal.
The district had experienced a 21% deficit rainfall up to the first fortnight of July. With the southwest monsoon turning active, the district recorded 129.8 mm rainfall so far as against the normal 134.7 mm, according to a report compiled by the Agriculture department.
The crop coverage, which was only 10% of the normal extent of over 1.71 lakh hectares in the first fortnight of July, doubled to 20% in the last week of July, according to Agriculture Joint Director S. Srinivasa Rao.
Officials of the India Meteorological Department(IMD) predicted fairly widespread rainfall with thunder and lightening in the next three-to-four days.
N G Padu registered a maximum rainfall of 63.6 mm, while Ponnalur recorded 50.4 mm, Chandrasekharapuram 48.2 mm, Maddipadu 38.4 mm, Donakonda 30 mm, Kothapatnam 26.4 mm and Ongole 19.6 mm, according to a report compiled by the Chief Planning Officer.
Motor cyclists had a tough time negotiating water-logged roads as the clogged sewer lines overflowed in the low-lying areas.
