Continuous natural calamities over the past three years - ‘Neelam’ cyclone in 2012, the Godavari floods and heavy rain in July-September 2013 and the same in 2014 -- have almost wrecked the lives of most of the farmers in the Khammam district.There are about 4.5 lakh farmers in the district. Among them, many as 2.5 lakh farmers, most of them living on the banks of Godavari river, have suffered huge losses due to the above-mentioned natural calamities in the past three years.

Most of the farmers in the district are small and marginal farmers. They would cultivate crops by taking loans from private money-lenders.

Having suffered huge crop losses due the natural calamities in the last three years, these farmers are now not only unable to clear their debts but are also leading miserable lives.

According to K Narasaiah, a farmer from Tallampadu village near Khammam, some natural calamity-hit and debt-ridden farmers have been forced to turn into daily labourers.

He added that if the government did not come to the rescue of these famers, several of them could end up committing suicide out of desperation.

The ‘Neelam’ cyclone that hit the district on December 1, 2012, destroyed cotton, paddy, maize and other crops sown over an area of about 9700 hectares thereby causing huge losses to 29,400 farmers in 46 mandals of the district. The floods in Godavari following heavy rain in 2013 affected as many as 10,000 farmers. It not only damaged standing crop in about 7,000 hectares but also led to the collapse of over 2,000 houses in the district. The Godavari flood this month damaged standing crops on 10,000 hectares in 14 mandals of the district and completely dashed the hopes of any recovery (from last year’s misery) of 2,000 farmers in the district.

Source - http://www.newindianexpress.com/