Farmers in the tail-end Delta region of Cuddalore district affected by the fury of Cyclone Nivar and the torrential rains this north-east monsoon are in distress. The incessant heavy rains submerged large tracts of agricultural land inflicting damage and destroying their harvest, but there is, as yet, no compensation package in sight.
The flood waters has receded in most of the areas but the woes of farmers continue to hold them to ransom.
According to K.V. Elangeeran, president of Cauvery Delta Farmers Federation, “Most of the ryots are yet to recover from the shock following crop damages and the resultant financial loss. Barring an interim relief of ₹74 crore announced by the Chief Minister Edappadi during his visit to the district, there is no crop compensation package yet in sight. The delay in announcement of a relief package has added insult to injury.” The government goes by the rule book framed several years ago, instead of taking a practical assessment of the damage, he said.
S. Muthuramalingam, a farmer of Aranthangi village in Kattumannarkovil block, who had raised paddy crops on three acres, says that crops that had reached the grain formation stage were damaged owing to accumulation of water. “The entire cultivation has been damaged in the rains and we don’t know how to handle the loss. I had borrowed ₹60,000 to raise the crop this season and now I would not get even back the investment, let alone the profit.”
According to current guidelines, a farmer will only get ₹15,000 per hectare. “This is not acceptable. They should be compensated as per market rates. The government should give a compensation of at least ₹30,000 per acre to farmers who lost their crops,” Mr. Elangeeran added.
According to official sources, the heavy rains played havoc in seven blocks — Chidambaram, Kattumannarkovil, Bhuvanagiri, Keerapalayam, Parangipettai, Kurunjipadi and Kumaratchi.
K.S. Venkatesan, secretary of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry State Private Sugarmill Cane Growers Association said that crops including maize and pulses were severely damaged in the rains in several blocks in the district. A proper assessment should be made and there should be an upward revision of the scale of finance this year, he said.
According to an official of the Agriculture Department, “The floodwater has receded in nearly 90 % of the affected areas and field workers were engaged in assessment of the damage. The actual picture of crop damage would be known only by Friday.”
As per preliminary estimates, about 50,000 hectares of standing crops have been submerged. But these figures are just initial and the exact figures may be high or low when compared to this, the official said.
