Central experts likely to submit report on January 28

Farmers narrated their plight to the officials and elaborated about their inability to repay loans. Salem ryots sought a compensation of Rs 30,000 per acre against the mere Rs 5,600 to Rs 7,500 announced by the State Government. 

In Salem, the team led by Vijay Raj Mohan from the agriculture department visited maize and groundnut crops at Nallarayanpatti, followed by Kandarkula Manickam and Pudupalayam in Edapadi, where women picketed them and alleged that they walk 3 km to fetch water to drink. 

Earlier that day the committee visited Rasampalayam, Singalanthapuram and Bodinaickenpatti in Namakkal District. In Erode, the team visited dried up mulberry, sugarcane, papaya, mango and turmeric plants at Nochipalayam, Attayampalayam and Samikavundanplaayam. 

Vijay Raj Mohan said that the assessment was done on the direction of the Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh and that the situation so far shows that farmers have been badly affected. He recalled incidents of cattle deaths and difficulty in getting drinking water. 

Another team led by P Ganesh Ram from the union agriculture department visited Sivampatti, Nadupatti, Pattrahalli, Olaipatti and Dhasampatti in Krishnagiri District. Later his team visited drought hit areas at Morapur, Harur, Samandahalli and Elavadai in Dharmapuri District. The district collectors and other officials of various departments accompanied the central committee and gave them inputs about the rainfall and drought situation. 

The committee will also assess the situation in three more places at Perundurai in Erode on Wednesday, before heading to Tirupur and Coimbatore.