Agartala, May 2 (IANS) Heavy rainfall across Tripura over three days has caused widespread damage to agriculture and horticulture, affecting over 33,000 farmers and leading to an estimated crop loss worth Rs 59.17 crore, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath said on Saturday.

The state, during April 27-29, recorded an average rainfall of 133.9 mm, with the highest precipitation in Kamalpur (283 mm) in Dhalai district, followed by Bishramganj (278 mm) in Sepahijala district and Khowai (230 mm) in Khowai district.

Out of the total 58,540 hectares of standing crops, around 6,105 hectares have been affected, according to preliminary assessments. The anticipated production loss stands at 21,635 metric tonnes, the minister said.

Among the eight districts, South Tripura is the worst-hit, accounting for 10,470 metric tonnes of crop loss, while Khowai reported the lowest loss at 463 metric tonnes.

Highlighting the government’s response, Nath said that state, district, and subdivision-level nodal officers have been appointed to implement disaster management plans. Quick Response Teams (QRTs) have also been deployed for immediate action.

Field officials have been put on alert to assess crop damage using geo-tagging technology. Priority is being given to drainage management to remove excess water, especially from paddy and vegetable fields.

To support recovery, farmers are advised to adopt crop rotation strategies tailored to their land conditions. Suggested alternatives include pulses such as arhar and cowpea, oilseeds such as sesamum, maize, leafy vegetables, and millets, including foxtail and finger millet.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment, Nath said that farmers remain the backbone of the economy and that their welfare is essential to the state’s overall development.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department, Meteorological Centre, Agartala, has predicted that heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely to occur at one or two places over North, Unakoti, Dhalai, Khowai, and West districts of Tripura during the next seven days.

The India Meteorological Department said that thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds reaching 40-50 kmph are very likely to occur at one or two places over the North, Unakoti, Dhalai, Khowai, and West districts of Tripura.

–IANS

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