NAGAPATTINAM
In view of the heavy rainfall in Nagapattinam during this month, the Agriculture Department has suggested to the Public Works Department to suspend water release into the rivers and canals in the district for a few days.
The district recorded an average of 55.06 mm rainfall during the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday. The maximum rainfall of 100.6 mm was recorded in Talaignayar followed by 98.4 mm in Thirupoondi, 70.4 mm in Vedaranyam, 50.7 mm in Nagapattinam, 47 mm in Sirkazhi, 46 mm in Manalmedu, 30 mm in Tranquebar, 28.4 mm in Mayiladuthurai, and 24 mm in Kollidam. The district has recorded 196 mm rainfall so far this month.
The timely release of water from Mettur Dam in the Cauvery River had prompted the farmers to increase the area of paddy cultivation. According to Agriculture Department officials, the rainfall has helped the district to bring 45,512 hectares under paddy cultivation against the targeted 41,000 hectares during the kuruvai season. The current spell has reportedly led to stagnation in about 1,500 hectares of paddy fields in the harvest stage in Sirkazhi-Mayiladuthurai belt.
“The spell of rainfall has halted the harvest of early kuruvai crop raised in Mayiladuthurai - Vaitheeswarankovil areas. The rather heavy rainfall has also affected paddy crops in flowering stage in some places," Saravanan, a farmer of Kollidam, said.
More heavy rainfall may lead to damage to crops or affect the yield, officials acknowledged. Nevertheless, there is now a higher inclination among farmers to insure their crops, and, hence, farmers would be compensated for the damaged crops, a senior official said. Farmers have been given time, until this month-end, to get their crops insured, they added.
