TN govt to assess crop damages exceeding 33% amidst heavy rainfall
According to Panneerselvam, the Delta districts received significant rainfall over the past 24 hours, with Nagapattinam recording the highest rainfall of 148 mm and Cuddalore receiving the lowest of 57 mm.
Maize crops in Talavadi hills region dry up sans rains
CHENNAI: As reports emerged that 34,356 acres of farmland have submerged across the delta region, Minister for Agriculture MRK Panneerselvam asked officials to assess the damage and send the report as early as possible.
“Officials from agriculture, revenue and supporting departments are involved in assessing the crop damage across the state. The actual damage can be ascertained only when the rainwater recedes from fields,” the minister said after inspecting affected paddy fields in Ukkadai village, Thanjavur.
“They are instructed to submit crop assessment at the earliest. The crops that are damaged 33 per cent and more would certainly be recommended for compensation,” he assured.
Of the 34,356 acres of fields that were submerged in the rains, the worst-hit district was Nagapattinam, where 19,202 acres were affected. In Mayiladuthurai and Cuddalore, 8,250 acres were affected. About 2,395 acres of paddy fields in Tiruvarur, 2,367 acres in Thanjavur, 2055 acres in Ramanathapuram and 87 acres in Tiruvannamalai were also affected.
Panneerselvam also claimed that a separate agriculture budget are being presented after the DMK government came to power, and allocations for desilting ‘C’ and ‘D’ category canals are being made through the Agriculture Engineering department. “However, there are complaints in a few areas that there was no desilt activity. We have asked the officials to verify, and those areas would be desilted on war footing if desilt works are required,” the minister said.
The minister also said that the Varumun Kaappom scheme, launched by Chief Minister MK Stalin, has played a crucial role in initiating flood prevention measures, and the people residing at the vulnerable spots were evacuated and shifted to the relief camps. Apart from this, the IAS officials were deputed as monitoring officials of all the districts, and they have been closely monitoring the situations and providing advice at times, the minister added.
