‘Neglected’ banana growers demand adequate relief

Say adequate water must be released from Mettur dam

Farmers’ representatives staging a demonstration in front of the Collector’s Office in Tiruchi on Thursday.

Accusing the government of neglecting banana growers in sanction of compensation for crop damages caused by natural calamities, farmers representatives of the district have demanded adequate relief to banana growers affected by cyclone Gaja and other natural calamities prior to that.

The representatives staged a demonstration in front of the Collector’s office ahead of the monthly farmers grievances meeting demanding that all banana growers whose crops were damaged by cyclone Gaja and gale winds in 2016 and 2017 be fully compensated. Although compensation for farmers affected in 2016 and 2017 was recommended, it had not been sanctioned so far.

The farmers also urged the government to increase the compensation sanctioned for banana crop damaged in Cyclone Gaja. Besides, all affected farmers have did get relief, they complained.

The farmers also reiterated their demand for sanction of compensation to farmers whose maize crop was damaged by the fall aArmyworm, an invasive pest.

Later, speaking at the farmers grievances meeting, a section of ryots also urged the State government to ensure adequate release of water from Mettur Dam to meet the requirements of standing crop dependent on the 17 irrigation canals between Metur and Grand Anicut.

Puliyar A. Nagarajan of Tamil Maanila Congress, said the ayatcudars of the canals had a right to get water for irrigation for 11 months in a year. A Government order had been issued as early as 1935 for release of water during the non-Mettur season, he maintained.

The present discharge of 1,000 cusecs from Mettur was totally inadequate as the water was being tapped for lift irrigation upstream, he said.

Mr.Nagarajan also expressed disappointment over the Centre’s failure to cede the farmers demand for waiver of crop loans and the absence of any announcement in this regard in the Union government’s interim budget.

Koundampatti R.Subramanian, deputy secretary, Cauvery Delta Farmers Welfare Association, called upon the State government to take up with the Centre and the Supreme Court the concerns of the delta farmers over Karnataka move to build a reservoir across Cauvery river at Mekedatu.

DPCs opened

District Collector K. Rajamani said direct purchase centres had been opened at 25 places and about 650 tonnes of paddy procured from farmers in the district so far.