Area of cultivation goes down in Tirunelveli district despite surplus rainfall, satisfactory storage level in dams

Even though the territory has received surplus rainfall during the months of October and November this twelvemonth and satisfactory retention level successful the Papanasam and Manimuthar dams, the country of cultivation till November has mysteriously travel down.

Chairing the farmers’ grievance redress gathering held astatine the Collectorate connected Friday, District Collector R. Sukumar said the territory had received 228.95 mm rainfall during October, which was 37.91% much than the mean rainfall for October. The precipitation till November 27 besides exceeded the mean rainfall arsenic the territory recorded 296.78 mm rainfall against the mean rainfall of 208.20 mm – an summation of 42.55%.

Hence, the dams, particularly the Papanasam and Manimuthar, had capable retention of water. While Papanasam dam has 4,983 mcft of h2o (90.60%) against its maximum capableness of 5,500 mcft, Manimuthar dam has 4,501 mcft (81.69%) against the maximum retention level of 5,511 mcft.

“However, cultivation and horticultural crops person been cultivated lone connected 28,488 hectares which stood astatine 29,345 hectares during this play past year,” Dr. Sukumar said.

When the farmers appealed to the Collector to springiness ‘adequate compensation’ for the banana harvest damaged by caller gale and downpour successful Palayamkottai and Cheranmahadevi Taluks, Dr. Sukumar said banana raised connected 42.85 hectare had been damaged arsenic per the preliminary survey jointly done by the revenue, horticulture and agriculture departments and the last study connected this harm would beryllium submitted with the authorities soon for getting compensation.

When husbandman P. Perumbadaiyar of Tamil Nadu Vivasaayigal Sangam and others appealed to the Collector to springiness the compensation of ₹300 per banana, the farmers’ entreaty would beryllium forwarded to the government.

Collector informed that 29,851 tonnes of paddy had been procured from the farmers done the 37 nonstop procurement centres during the conscionable concluded ‘kar’ paddy season. “At the aforesaid time, paddy acceptable for harvest connected 55 hectares had been damaged by the downpour,” helium said.

On disbursal of harvest loan, Dr. Sukumar informed that ₹8,993 crore had been fixed arsenic indebtedness till November 23 done kisan recognition paper and appealed to the agriculturist to insure the crops instantly by paying prescribed premium earlier the deadline. “Farmers tin interaction 14447 for getting details astir harvest security oregon the Assistant Directors of Agriculture,” the Collector said.

When the farmers complained that the severely damaged roads of Tirunelveli and Palayamkottai owed to the ‘indefinitely dragging’ underground drainage works were causing hardship to the public, Dr. Sukumar replied that it would beryllium re-laid by February-end.