With the westerlies expected to start trending towards southern districts in a fortnight, heralding the onset of southwest monsoon, power managers and plaintain growers find themselves at opposite poles of nature’s effect.
The strong winds will set the windmills rotating — leading to adequate generation of power — and bring relief to officials at Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO). At the same time, the gales have already flattened plantain crops cultivated in a few hundred acres in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Tenkasi districts, leaving cultivators in distress.
It is in May that the westerlies begin to blow across the southern districts in Tamil Nadu and foretell the arrival of the southwest monsoon in neighbouring Kerala and along the Western Ghats. Hence, TANGEDCO is now getting an average of 1,500 MW green power from windmills in Tirunelveli and Tenkasi districts. It is expected to cross 3,000 MW when wind turbines along Aralvaimozhi Pass in Kanniyakumari district also get into the act.
No wonder, there is jubilation in TANGEDCO circles. However, banana growers in Tirunelveli, Tenkasi and Thoothukudi districts are a gloomy lot.
The worst-hit are farmers in the ‘banana basket’ of Tirunelveli district — a lengthy stretch between Thirukkurunkudi and Cheranmahadevi near the Western Ghats. Here, the swirling winds have fractured over 30,000 plantain crop with bunches, which will be ready for harvest within a couple of months.
On receiving information about the situation, Tahsildar of Cheranmahadevi Kanagaraj visited the affected fields at Pillaikulam, Ulagankulam, Odaikkarai and a few more areas.
“The banana growers of the region have lost bunch-laden crop that was ready for harvest in August. Since we have suffered a huge loss, the government should give us due compensation,” said P. Perumbadaiyar of Thirukkurunkudi.
Banana growers of Surandai and surrounding areas too have suffered extensive crop loss in nearly 50 acres.
In Thoothukudi, farmers have lost over two lakh plantain trees in Koottaampuli, Kulaiyankarisal, Sivaththaiyapuram, Sivagnanapuram, Sawyerpuram, Veeranaickenthattu, Kaalaankarai and Aththimarapatti.
They had appealed to the State government to release water from Papanasam Dam to save the standing crop. And Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami ordered the release of 400 cusecs of water from the reservoir for 17 days in May last. They were confident of a good yield only to have their hopes dashed by the roaring westerlies.
Accordign to horticulture officials, 580 farmers from Thoothukudi, Thenthiruperai, Seithunganallur and Srivaikundam blocks have lost plantain crop cultivated in over 175 hectares and papaya grown in two hectares.
“We will submit a report to the government seeking compensation to farmers who have suffered a huge loss,” said an official.
