DINDIGUL: An assessment report will be submitted to the Centre this weekend to enable for action, said Santosh, Central team member.
Talking to press persons at Pallapatti in Nilakottai block after inspecting drought-hit areas in the district here on Monday, he said that four teams were in the State to assess the situation.
“Our team had been covering Namakkal, Dindigul, Karur, Madurai and Salem. Other teams had been covering the rest of the districts. We would compile the report and submit to the Centre, he added.
The team comprising Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation Assistant Advisor Santosh, Trade Extension and Drought Management (Ministry of Agriculture) Director Vijay Raj Mohan and TWAD Board Chairman Dheeraj, senior officer in Tamil Nadu, who accompanied the team, inspected Pallapatti, Nadupatti, Sempatti, Silukuvarpatti and nearby affected areas.
Several farmers narrated their plight, the impact of drought and how the drought wiped out all their livelihood activities. Drinking water crisis haunted all the villages, they told the team.
Jambudhuraikottai farmer B. Ganesan said that he had spent Rs.1500 to buy a lorry load of water to protect beans crop. More than 150 acres of crop withered at his village, he said. He had invested Rs.4.5 lakh in total to raise the crop, he said.
With no farm activities, farm workers stated that they were jobless. Acute drinking water crisis had been haunting them. People had to shell out Rs.15 per pot of drinking water, he added.
Another farmer M. Thangapandian stated that grape plantations were completely destroyed and appealed to construct a check-dam below Sirumalai to improve groundwater.
Collector T.G. Vinay said that acute drought and depletion of groundwater were due to failure of the north-west monsoon and over exploitation of groundwater.
At Nadupatti, a farmer M. Subramanian said that jowar crops in 150 hectares completely withered. They appealed to desilt wells around the Athoor dam to improve supply to their village. Many villagers sought removal of karuvaelam plants as it sucked 50 per cent of irrigated water in the farm.
Horticulture officials said that 80 per cent of standing crops in all blocks except in Kodaikanal completely withered. Joint Director of Agriculture M. Thangasamy accompanied the team.
