Drought and poor rainfall alone are not the reasons for the distress of farmers but systematic destruction of resources and lack of compensation for the loss, notes an impact study by the Tamil Nadu Federation of Women’s Farmers Rights.
The study covered the plight of farmers, particularly women farmers, in six districts, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Pudukottai and Thanjavur. The findings of the study were revealed at a press briefing here recently. Several farmer deaths in these districts occurred among marginal farmers who have taken to informal land leasing, according to members of the federation who visited the districts earlier this month.
T. Kavitha of Chengam taluk, Tiruvannamalai is one among the many districts where women farmers now face the burden of debt following crop failure. “My father Thangavelu died a month ago as he couldn’t bear the pressure of debt and continuous crop failure. We cultivate in the land taken on lease. We spent so much on pesticides too. There is no water in Cheyyar river and the groundwater table has also plummeted. We don’t know how to continue farming,” said Kavitha trying hard to control her emotions. The family is in dire need of compensation and jobs to sustain livelihood.
The federation’s team has recorded many such issues of women farmers in the district in its study. “Many women farmers are still not recognised for their work. They now face the burden of debt after the death of the family head. Several of them are unable to get any support from the government as they cultivate on leased lands. The process to get compensation is also cumbersome,” said Fatima Burnad, one of the federation’s State committee members.
Systematic destruction of water resources, be it due to indiscriminate exploitation of groundwater by private sector, rampant sand mining or negligence of waterbodies, has led to drought and farmers’ distress, according to the study. Groundwater has turned saline in many districts.
“The compensation of ₹5,000 per acre will not even cover the seed cost. Farmers must be given a compensation of minimum of ₹25,000 per acre and loans must be given even to landless farmers,” said Geetha Narayanan, another committee member.
Some of the recommendations of the study are recognition of women farmers with identity cards, desilting of waterbodies, prevention of seawater intrusion in coastal districts and awareness about harnessing rainwater among farming community. Besides promoting organic farming, a water mapping system about the available resources must also be initiated.
The federation plans to submit the study to the State government and the National Commission for Women.
