Farmers are demanding adequate compensation for crop loss.
At the monthly grievance day meeting held here on Friday, M. Shanmugasundaram of Veerasigamani near Sankarankovil, a farmer, said farmers in Sivagiri, Royagiri and other places around Sankarankovil had suffered a heavy loss during the past two seasons.
R. Kasamuthu, a farmer and Communist Party of India functionary, said the farmers, who had suffered loss during ‘kar’ and ‘pisanam’ seasons, who had cultivated rain-fed crop in the district, should be given sufficient compensation.
S. Perumbadaiyar, a farmer and CPI functionary, said that the adulterated fertilizer sold in southern parts of Tirunelveli had caused irreparable loss to farmers. The monsoon too had played havoc.
Joint Director of Agriculture K. Soundararajan said that samples would be sent for analysis. “If it is found to be spurious, stern action will be taken against the dealer who supplied the fertilizer,” he said.
Collector C. Samayamoorthy, who chaired the meeting, assured the farmers that he would convey their sentiments to the government. He announced that farmers’ grievance day meetings would be held hereafter at three revenue divisions of the district prior to the monthly meeting being organised at the Collectorate on the third Friday of every month.
“While the smaller issues being raised by the farmers can be redressed at the divisional level, major issues can be discussed at the meeting being organised in the presence of the Collector,” Mr. Samayamoorthy said.
As per the statistics provided by the officials, dry spell may continue as the district, which used to get a rainfall of 50.20 mm during January on an average, had got only 2.07 mm this year. Reservoirs collectively have 23 per cent water (3,172 million cubic feet against the cumulative storage level of 13,765.50 mcft).
Of the 2,449 irrigation tanks in the district, 905 systemized tanks and 1,513 rain-fed tanks are bone-dry.
The district is heading towards the worst-ever summer, according to the statistics reveals.
