The lotus farmers of Tirunavaya are taking stock of the loss they suffered in the wake of the devastating floods of August.
Never before in their memory did they suffer so much loss because of inundation. They have no lotus to sell when the demand is the highest during the Puja season. The floodwaters destroyed thousands of lotus plants at Tirunavaya, the main centre of lotus cultivation in the State.
Each of the nearly two dozen farmers engaged in lotus cultivation in the wetlands of Tirunavaya has suffered a loss of up to ₹5 lakh as the floodwaters refused to recede for several days and destroyed the plants. The sprouting of some plants have begun to give a ray of hope for them. But the current season inflicted the biggest blow to them by giving no yield.
People visiting Tirunavaya for a full view of the lotus fields in bloom are returning disappointed. They have nothing to see but a vast stretch of wetland with weeds and leaves. “It is sad to see this place in such a condition. Hope they [the farmers] will survive,” said Aneesh Babu, a trader from Alappuzha who used to visit the place every year.
Loss of jobs
The Valiya Parappur lake, spread across 300 acres, is the largest lotus cultivation zone at Tirunavaya. Several farmers have been engaged in lotus cultivation by taking portions of it on lease. “In my family, eight of us, including my father, have been engaged in the cultivation. All of us have incurred a huge loss,” said Mohammed Aslam Karakkadan. The loss of the farmers apart, many men who used to work for them have turned jobless. At least half a dozen men, mostly immigrant labourers, used to work for a farmer every day. Most of them were forced to seek other jobs for survival.
Ali C.P., another farmer, said it would take at least three more months for the plants to recover. “We do not know what will happen. Still we are hopeful that the plants will sprout again. We can find some signs of it,” said Mr. Ali.
The pink lotus cultivated at Tirunavaya is considered the best in the State. It is being preferred to the flowers cultivated at Thriprayar or Nagercoil because of its colour, size, and smell in prominent temples, including Guruvayur. The Tirunavaya lotus is transported regularly to all parts of Kerala and to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, from where it is carried to several other areas of north India. Tirunavaya had witnessed a spurt in demand when the cultivation in Tamil Nadu had suffered in 2017.
