Holding withered crops, scores of farmers from various villages of Kovilpatti, Ettayapuram and Vilathikulam taluks laid siege to the Collectorate here on Thursday ahead of grievances redressal meeting and demanded the State government to declare Thoothukudi as a ‘drought-hit’ district.
Owing to the failure of the North-east monsoon and the resultant lack of water, crops such as maize, black gram, green gram, chillies and onion could not be cultivated.
Most of the farmers, including S. Rajendran, former Kovilpatti MLA, said they could not bear the loss of damages and hence it was essential for the government to provide them drought relief to save them from debt.
The agitating farmers, who rely on rainfed crop cultivation, demanded the government to offer compensation of Rs. 25,000 per acre for damaged crops.
Collector M. Ravikumar, Thoothukudi Sub Collector Deepak Jacob, District Revenue Officer (in-charge) Rasaiah reached out to the agitating farmers and convinced them saying that the demand for drought relief assistance would be made to the government.
Unusually, ‘Muthu Arangam’, the meeting venue at the Collectorate was jam packed with farmers. While all chairs were occupied, some farmers with withered maize crops sat on the floor.
Addressing the farmers, the Collector said a team of officials had been conducting inspection to assess the crop damage. The district has been facing a deficit rainfall of 66 percent with just 209.49 mm rain against the annual average of 662 mm. As for December, the average rainfall is 92 mm, but only 7 mm rain had been received, so far, he said.
Crops such as banana, coriander and chillies had been included in the new crop insurance scheme and government order is awaited. Hence, farmers could utilise it.
Around 28,000 farmers had insured their crops so far in the district. The paddy –II crop cultivation touched 905 hectares and of which 802 hectares had been insured. Farmers, who rely on rainfed crop cultivation, could pay premium towards the new insurance scheme until January 15 in 2017 and for paddy-III crop until February 15, 2017. The rainfed crop cultivation was covered up to an extent of 1.10 lakh hectares in the district, so far.
The Collector also appealed to all farmers to insure their crops. On crop loans, he said Rs.53 crore had been provided to farmers through cooperative banks and during the last forty days, 625 farmers were provided with loans of Rs.3.95 crore.
Referring to illegal groundwater suction issue, he said 20 borewells in Thoothukudi taluk, 12 borewells in Srivaikuntam and seven in Tiruchendur had been sealed. Besides, 35 tanker lorries, including 26 in Thoothukudi and nine in Tiruchendur were seized by the Regional Transport authorities.
On irregularities alleged in cooperative banks, he said the secretary of such a bank in Saminatham was placed under suspension and enquiries on similar irregularities were in progress at banks in Perungulam and Chettikurichi.
Further, he said adequate stock of certified seeds and fertilizers were available and farmers could avail it.
Thoothukudi Sub Collector Joint Director of Agriculture, P. Vanniarajan, Executive Engineer, PWD Tamirabarani, Subramanian, Joint Registrar of Cooperatives, Arockya Sugumar, Kovilpatti RDO, S. Kannabiran and Tiruchendur RDO, Thyagarajan attended the meet.
