TIRUNELVELI
Though storage level in the reservoirs of the district is so comfortable this year, thanks to the active southwest monsoon in the catchment areas along the Western Ghats, the Department of Agriculture is unlikely to achieve its target of ensuring paddy cultivation on 10,000 hectares during this ‘kar’ season as the agriculturists have planted the crop only on 5,600 hectare till this week.
The 11 reservoirs of the district, which had only 11% of water (1,532 mcft) against its total capacity of 13,765 million cubic feet in July 2017, now have 54% (7,495 mcft) water. Even as water level in the Papanasam dam has touched 115 feet against the maximum capacity of 143 feet, Kodumudiyar, Gadana, Ramanadhi, Karuppanadhi, Gundar and Adavinainar Dams are overflowing while influx of water into all these dams remains steady due to intermittent drizzle continuing in catchment areas.
Buoyed by the favourable conditions, the Department of Agriculture decided to ensure paddy cultivation on 10,000 hectare to produce 46,000 tonnes of rice during this ‘kar’ season – i.e. the first paddy season between June and September.
However, the farmers, who had cultivated paddy only on 357 hectare during the corresponding period last year, have raised the crop only on 5,600 hectares till the third week of July this year despite prevailing favourable conditions.
“This is due to the bitter lessons they had learnt in the past… When the farmers cultivated paddy on over 17,000 hectares in 2016 ‘kar’ season, only the farmers having ranches close to the dams, enjoyed good harvest while all others suffered hefty loss and were left at the mercy of insurance firms. Again, the farmers, who tried their luck in 2017 ‘kar’ season in a bid to repay the loans they had availed, landed in debt trap owing to monsoon failure. So, they are not prepared for yet another gamble,” says farmer P. Perumbadaiyar of Thirukkurunkudi of Communist Party of India.
He also argues that the water available in Papanasam and Manimuthar dams should have been released in the first week of June to encourage at least a section of the farmers to go in for ‘kar’ paddy cultivation. As the water was released belatedly, the agriculturists did not want to take chances this time also.
“If the farmers cultivate paddy now, the 95-day crop will be ready for harvest only in mid-October during which you can expect the arrival of northeast monsoon. If the northeast monsoon becomes active in the second or third week of October, the standing paddy cannot be harvested which will cause huge loss to the farmers. Hence, the hesitant agriculturists did not go for paddy cultivation during this ‘kar’ season despite satisfactory water position,” Mr. Perumbadaiyar explains.
Similarly, the target set for cultivation of millets (2,039 hectares cultivated against the target of 15,700 hectare till June 30), sugarcane (675 hectares cultivated against the target of 4,000 hectare) cotton (698 hectare cultivated against the target of 5,500 hectare) and oilseeds (1,575 hectare cultivated against the target of 3,940 hectare) between June and September also cannot be achieved as there is no rain in the areas away from the Western Ghats.
