A Central team that toured various places of Tiruchi, Ariyalur, and Perambalur districts to study the drought impact on Wednesday observed that various crops raised by farmers in several parts of the State had been affected by drought. “We have visited various parts of the State to get first hand information from farmers on drought impact. We feel that several parts of the State have been affected due to drought,” Paul Pandian, Fisheries Development Commissioner, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, New Delhi, told reporters after inspecting standing samba paddy and banana crops at Madakudi village near here.
After splitting into four groups, the team members had visited all districts in the State. After compiling inputs on field visits, the team would prepare an elaborate report and submit it to the Centre soon, Mr. Pandian added.
B. Ganeshram, Research Officer, Agriculture, and Rathna Prasad, Deputy General Manager, Department of Food and Public Distribution, were the other members of the team.
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C.N. Maheswaran, Commissioner, Social Security Scheme, who accompanied them, said that the team had extensively toured a few districts, including Tiruchi and Ariyalur. Besides assessing the extent of crop damage, the team collected inputs on north-east and south-west monsoon, groundwater situation, drinking water shortage, and availability of fodder.
When the team members inspected the withered maize crop at Tirupattur, farmers narrated the loss they suffered due to crop failure. “I had raised maize on six acres of land and spent Rs. 25,000 an acre. But, the crop has withered as there has been no rain since September,” Baby (48) of the village told the members.
They then interacted with farmers at Madakudi village, a canal irrigated area in Tiruchi district. The farmers showed them the abandoned paddy crop, which did not even reached the maturity stage because of insufficient supply of water from the Cauvery river.
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Earlier, a few leaders of various farmers associations’ expressed displeasure with the team for failing to meet the waiting farmers at Madakudi village.
The team visited Ariyalur and Perambalur districts.