Paddy cultivation in about 3,000 hectares of land has been destroyed in Kuttanad due to breaching of bunds and flooding, Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar has said.
He was visiting paddy polders destroyed by bund breaches in Kainakary on Monday.
The Minister said that the government would compensate farmers for the crop loss.
“In Kuttanad, outer bunds of 19 paddy polders have been breached. This has destroyed paddy cultivation in 1,051 hectares. Crop in another 2,172 hectares has been washed away. Like last year’s floods, the Agriculture Department will compensate farmers. All farmers who suffered losses will be provided seeds free of cost in the puncha season,” Mr. Kumar said.
He said that the pumping subsidy would be provided ahead of the harvest. “For the construction of outer bunds, padashekhara samithis will be provided 20 percent of the total cost as advance. The Department has started the process of preparing estimate. The loss suffered in the second crop season will be compensated in the puncha season,” the Minister said.
Mr. Kumar said that the Department would look into the reasons behind farmers leaving some paddy fields uncultivated in the second crop season.
“We will not allow anyone to leave paddy fields fallow without valid reasons,” he said. The Minister said that the agriculture sector had suffered losses to the tune of ₹119 crore in Alappuzha district.
Mr. Kumar said that agriculture in 33,000 hectares of land had been destroyed across the State in the heavy downpour. “The loss is estimated to be ₹1,300 crore. Around 1.25 lakh farmers have been affected in the State,” he added.
The Minister also visited the relief camp at K.E. Carmel Public School, Kainakary.
District Collector Adeela Abdulla, Kainakary Panchayat president Sheela Sajeev, and other officials accompanied the Minister.
