The heavy and widespread rain on Saturday and the couple of summer showers earlier this month is expected to give a push to banana cultivation in Tiruchi district this year.
The area under banana in the district could reach the normal of 9,000 hectares this year thanks to the timely rains during the planting season now.
Last year, the area under banana had shrunk to about 6,000 hectares as many farmers had opted against raising the crop owing to the drought condition that had prevailed then.
“Planting is underway in many places and the rains would help banana growers. The recent spells of rain will make for good field condition to plant banana suckers. The area under banana cultivation will in all probability increase this year as farmers who did not go for the crop last year will go for it now,” said Puliyur A. Nagarajan, president, Tamil Nadu Horticulture Crop Producers Association.
Although the district had been facing drought like condition over the past three years, it had received normal rainfall between March 1 and May 21. The district had received 102.7 mm of rainfall during the period against the normal of 92.5 per cent.
The heavy rain that lashed several parts of Tiruchi district on Saturday also brought much needed relief from the sweltering heat. Several trees and some electric poles were uprooted in the city as the rain, lasting over two hours, was accompanied by gusty winds. Motorists were caught off guard by the sudden and heavy downpour that left many arterial roads in the city inundated late in the night.
Thatched roofs put atop some houses in the city were blown away and roadside trees in Warners Road, Woraiyur and Cantonment areas were uprooted, causing disruption in power supply for some time.
The Melapudur underpass was flooded with rain water. A private bus and a mini-lorry were stranded in the water this morning and had to be recovered by rescue vehicles.
Tiruchi Junction recorded the maximum rainfall of 70 mm during the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 a.m. on Sunday.
The following is the chief amount of rainfall recorded in other parts of the district during the same period (in mm): Tiruchi Town 64.80; Samayapuram 63; Devimangalam 54.20; Pullampadi 44.20; Golden Rock 43.60; Sirukudi 35.50; Kallakudi 34.20; Pulivalam 26; Musiri and Nandhiyar Head 20 each; Thuvakudi 19; Tiruchi Airport 18.30; Manapparai 17.80; Kuppampatti 14; Lalgudi 13 and Thathaiyengarpet and Thenparanadu 10 each.
The district received an average of 27.02 mm of rainfall during the period.
