Kanniyakumari farmers relieved as water recedes from plantain farms

MADURAI: Inundation caused by heavy rains last week on banana fields in parts of Kanniyakumari district have started receding after rains that lashed the regions subsided.

However, sources in Horticulture Department said that there was not much crop damage.

Heavy downpours in Melpuram taluk flooded 180 hectares of banana field at Thickurichy village and 0.20 ha of tapioca field, but the farmers heaved a sigh of relief after the water drained out.

Moreover, in Thuckalay taluk, 15 ha of banana field and 0.2 ha of snake gourd at Kappiyarai village were waterlogged, but it is receding.

A team of officials from the Department of Horticulture would conduct inspections and submit a report to the government.

Owing to strong winds in April and May, around 185 hactare acre of banana crops were damaged in Thiruvattar and Kulasekaram villages of Thiruvattar taluk. Winds also caused damage to bananas raised on 0.485 ha at Palugal village and 0.10 ha of tapioca at the same village in Melpuram taluk.

A crop damage assessment report would soon be forwarded to the state government, sources said.