Heavy rain lashed Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts on Sunday. The rain brought respite to people who are reeling under scorching heat in summer. The downpour which started in the evening on Sunday, continued intermittently throughout night.
Agriculture department officials said that the rain was beneficial to farmers. However, pulses on 100 hectares was affected due to rain in the two districts.
Rainfall recorded till eight a.m.on Monday: Thiruvaiyaru 83 mms, Kumbakonam 78 mms, Thanjavur 76.3 mms, Muthupettai 64.2 mms; Budalur 63.8 mms, Neyvasal Thenpathi 59.4 mms; Needamangalam 58.2 mms; Valangaiman 44.2 mms; Anaikarai 44 mms; Ayyampettai 39 mms; Thirukattuppalli 35.8 mms; Papanasam 32.2 mms; Orathanadu 32.2 mms; Tiruvarur 26.4 mms, Nannilam 25.3 mms; Grand Anicut 25 mms; Kodavasal 18.2 mms; and Madukkur 8.4 mms.
Balasubramanian, Joint Director of Agriculture, Thanjavur, appealed to the farmers to take up summer ploughing. As water is likely to be released on June 12, with sufficient inflow of water into Mettur dam and adequate storage, for Kuruvai cultivation, farmers can use this rain prepare their fields for the cultivation.
They can plough the soil and sow seeds of green manures like Sun Hemp, Denja and Kolinji. When these plants come for flower in about 40 days, they can be ploughed into the soil. Thus the soil will be fertile for taking up Kuruvai cultivation after water is released from Mettur dam on June 12.
He said that pulses had been raised on 1,200 hectares in the district. Besides pulses there are standing summer paddy, ground nut, gingili crops in the district.
