Moderate and widespread showers continued in the district for the second day on Wednesday signalling the onset of the North East monsoon and raising the hopes of farmers.
Agriculture Department officials said the rain augured well for crops in rain-fed areas. According to sources in the department, cotton has been raised on about 11,000 hectares (ha) in the district, maize on 14,000 ha, sorghum on about 30,000 ha and groundnut on about 5,000 ha.
The rains are expected to be beneficial to all these crops.
They said rains have raised hope of samba paddy cultivation in non-delta areas dependent on irrigation tanks where the department expected a coverage of about 25,000 ha.
So far, the crop has been raised on about 6,000 ha, mainly in Uppilliyapuram, Thuraiyur and Thathaiyengarpet belts, where the recent rains had brought in some good inflow to irrigation tanks.
In the canal irrigated delta areas, samba paddy is expected to be raised on about 34,000 ha and so far transplantation has been completed on about 26,000 ha.
Transplantation in the remaining delta areas of the district is expected to be completed by November 10.
The onset of the monsoon has led to cautious optimism among farmers.
“It has raised our hopes. But it has to sustain till December. We hope the monsoon will not fail us this year, unlike the past few years,” said Ayilai Sivasuriyan, district secretary, Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, affiliated to the Communist Party of India. However, Mr.Sivasuriyan faulted the Public Works Department for failing to clear the silt from irrigation tanks and inlet channels in time to harvest the rain flow.
Rainfall
Though Tuesday’s showers were widespread it was not heavy as indicated by the statistics provided by the district administration:
Thuvakudi recorded the maximum rainfall of 27.30 mm during the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday.
The following is the chief amount of rainfall recorded in other parts of the district during the same period (in mm): Tiruchi Airport 26; Golden Rock 19.60; Tiruchi Town 18.5; Tiruchi Junction 18; Navalur Kuttapattu 16.20; Devimangalam 16 and Pullampadi 14.60. The district received an average of 7.76 mm of rainfall.
