Gaja sets life back by 10 years

Almost a fortnight after Cyclone Gaja left a trail of destruction in the Delta districts of Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, Tiruchy and some interior districts such as Dindigul and Theni, it has emerged that according to experts, it would take at least 10 years for the economic condition of these regions to turn normal.

 Though Gaja was comparatively more destructive in the Delta region than the 2004 tsunami, fortunately, less lives were lost due to precautionary measures, including shifting of people from vulnerable spots, that were undertaken.

Rajamanickam from Mechanised Boat Owners Association said, “Boat owners used to borrow money for huge interest in hope of settling the loan with hefty hauls in the upcoming season. Now, since the boats have been destroyed, finances are required to repair/replace damaged boats and also, to settle the money borrowed earlier. It will definitely take 10 years to stabilize the finances.”

While the State government has sought the Centre’s support for restoring infrastructure in the Gaja-hit regions, those who have made substantial investments in farming, especially in trees and livestock expecting long-term returns, have suffered devastating losses. This apart, most sectors in the districts that provided employment to thousands have been left ruined. Individuals, apart from government agencies, too have taken up damage assessment in these regions.

An assessment by respective industrial centres in the cyclone-hit regions estimated that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) incurred massive losses. For instance, at least 45 coir fibre-production units in Thanjavur district, 50 units in Pudukkottai and 30 units in Tiruvarur were destroyed following the natural disaster. At least 150 MSME units were ruined in Pudukkottai, while the number was 80 and 100 in Thanjavur and Tiruvarur, respectively, and 15 in Nagapattinam. The estimated cost of damage is Rs 151 crore.

An official source said “Not all MSMEs have insured their properties and this is an unprecedented disaster which we never expected would happen. Muthupettai, Mannargudi, and Tiruthuraipoondi towns in Tiruvarur were the worst hit.” Since rice mill components were kept in elevated spaces, the infrastructure of rice mills too suffered serious damage.

Though Nagapattinam district does not have any coir fibre units, infrastructure of welding and PVC pipe production plants as well as hollow block manufacturing units near Vedaranyam were severely damaged in the cyclone. “The Nagapattinam MSME association has been urged to submit an overall report on damages suffered by entrepreneurs. The ensuing months would be tough for them, especially for those running the businesses after availing loans from banks,” an official source said.

Members of the fishing community in the central districts claim that the destruction they witnessed to their boats this time was worse than the havoc caused during the 2004 tsunami and demanded immediate disbursal of compensation either for repair or replacement of boats. Nearly 1,200 country boats and 210 mechanised boats were damaged in the fishing hamlets of Mallipattinam, Sethubhavachatram and Kallavelthottam in Thanjavur. Around 440 boats, including 150 mechanised vessels, are missing since the cyclone and 4,000 country boats have been damaged in Nagapattinam.

Similarly, aquaculture in the region has been affected significantly. Aquaculture farms dot the coastal belt in the districts of Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, and Thanjavur, which are considered frontrunners in shrimp production. Apart from economically decimating marginal and small-scale shrimp farmers, the cyclone has hit around 10,000 workers who were directly dependent on the shrimp farms in the districts badly.

Cyclone Gaja also obliterated banana plants on 20,000 acres of land in the Delta districts, causing Rs 500 crore loss to farmers. “The total crop loss, which was awaiting harvest during Pongal, has been estimated to be more than Rs 500 crore for banana farmers alone as the plants were either completely uprooted or broken and blown away by the strong winds,” said Dr S Uma, Director, National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB), Tiruchy. The damaged banana plants included mono-crop of banana as well as banana intercropped in coconut and other perennial crop orchards raised in the districts of Tiruchy, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, Karur, Dindigul, Sivagangai and parts of Theni.

Swamimalai S Vimalnathan, secretary, Cauvery Farmers Protection Association said “There are several coconut farmers who had the money and invested a lot for the crops believing it would provide steady income as they would harvest four to six times a year. But overnight, they lost their crop.”