The railway goods shed at Ariyalur, where loading of cement in bulk quantities is done, saw paddy loading for the first time on Monday.
About 1,100 tonnes of paddy was loaded by Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation in 21 freight wagons for transportation to Hosur for hulling, said a senior railway official here.
The goods shed in Tiruchi division has been witnessing cement loading in large quantities over the years due to the presence of major cement units in the district. However, this is for the first time that paddy has been loaded from the goods shed for transportation by rail, said the official.
Usually, paddy and rice are loaded from various goods sheds in the fertile delta region, which falls under the Tiruchi division, and transported by rail to different destinations within the State.
Paddy is loaded at Mannargudi, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Kumbakonam, Peralam, Mayiladuthurai and Cuddalore. It is sent for hulling at Polur, Royapuram in Chennai, Chettinad near Karaikudi, Namakkal, Hosur and Dharmapuri.
Rice is also transported from the delta region to places such as Namakkal, Vriddhachalam and Katpadi. Loading of paddy in Tiruchi division in the current fiscal up to June is 2.56 lakh tonnes, the official added.
