Central team inspects crop damages in Virudhunagar, Nellai

The team ascertained the extent of damages caused to crop in parts of Sengulam, Keelkudi and Maravarperungudi under the limits of Aruppukottai panchayat union. 

During the inspection, several farmers, who suffered crop loss and damage after the downpour, expressed their grievances and submitted petitions seeking adequate compensation. The team informed the farmers that a damage assessment report would be sent to the government for providing adequate compensation.

Agriculture officials, who accompanied the team, said the total paddy cultivation area was 22,186 hectares in the district and damages were recorded in 5,360 ha. As for millets, 3,113 ha were damaged out of 52,828 ha. Among dal varieties covering 8,580 ha, 2,107 ha were reportedly damaged. Of oil seeds on 10,540 ha in total, 975 ha have been damaged.

Moreover, cotton in 21.27 ha suffered damage among its total cultivation area of 16,068 ha. Above all, the total crop cultivation in the district has an extent of 1,10,202 ha and among these area, 11,557 have been damaged in the rains. 

Dr Manoharan, director of oilseed development in Agriculture Ministry and Mahesh Kumar, deputy director FCD (Exp), Finance Ministry, were the other two team members. Virudhunagar Collector R Kannan, Joint Director of Agriculture S Uthandaraman and officials from Department of Revenue accompanied the team.

The team then assessed damages caused to pipes and pumps under combined water scheme (CWS) at Seevalaperi in Tirunelveli. Collector V Vishnu said such damages occurred under 18 such schemes among 19 CWS in total during heavy rainfall. 

However, District Administration in association with TWAD Board repaired the damages and made it functional in a span of a week. Expenses to the tune of Rs 8.8 crore were incurred on repairs under CWS and Rs 36 lakh is further required, the Collector told reporters.

As for damage of crops, including paddy and pulses, in the district, he said compensation of Rs 6.16 crore was sought. Crops, especially pulses were mostly damaged in Manur block.

Farmers in the rain-hit districts appealed to the Central team to initiate steps for speedy disbursal of compensation so that they could continue to concentrate on the next cultivation. 

The three-member Central team comprising Ranajay Singh, Divisional Officer of National Highways Authority of India, Subham Garg, Assistant Director Central Electricity Authority and Dr P Paul Pandian, Commissioner of Fisheries Development, commenced their visit to the rain-hit districts of Pudukkottai, Thanjavur and Tiruvarur on Thursday and they commenced the assessment of crop damage across the region. 

The team visited Kavalipatti, Nambivayal, Thippiyakudi and Thuraiyur areas in Thanajvur where paddy and groundnut cultivation was totally damaged by the heavy rains. The team then went to Tiruvarur where the rainfall during the month of January was 377 mm against the usual 48 mm. Paddy, including thaladi, was submerged in the district in which 1.31 lakh farmers from the district were affected. The team visited Needamangalam and Mannargudi regions and the farmers who showed the damaged crops had appealed to the team to initiate steps to disburse compensation on time.