Cotton, maize cultivation in TN hit by incessant rainfall

CHENNAI: Incessant and untimely rainfall in Tamil Nadu has affected the cotton and maize cultivation in the state.

In Permbalur district, a stream breach has led to destruction of more than 100 acres of cotton and maize cultivation.

At Keezha Permbalur in Veppur Union of Permbalur district, rainwater seeped into agricultural fields after a 30 metres wide stream shrunk leading to water overflow and subsequent inundation of crops.

M. Parasuraman, a cotton farmer in Perambalur, told IANS, "This is not a single instance, streams and lakes get shrunk with Seemai Karuvilan trees invading into the water bodies and occupying the space. Here also, the stream was six metres wide but is now only three metres in width and hence the water overflew. Unless the government and the water resources and agriculture departments don't make pre-monsoon preparations, these things are bound to happen and ultimately it is people like us who are suffering. My five acres of Cotton cultivation is entirely lost."

For the past few days, heavy rainfall has been lashing many parts of Tamil Nadu and this has led to the water inundation and subsequent loss of crops.

While 100 acres of cotton and maize crops are lost due to the inundation in Permabalur, in other districts of the state including Salem, Erode and Tiruchi, where cotton and maize are cultivated in huge volumes, more than 1000 acres of crops are destroyed.

With rainfall continuing to lash the state, there is possibility of more crops facing destruction leading to woes to the farming community.

A senior officer with the Tamil Nadu Agriculture department told IANS, "We have already prepared a proposal on pre-monsoon maintenance of streams and lakes and also proper maintenance of drainages across the state, so that water is flowing properly. However, all our calculations went awry, as the rains had come much earlier than the monsoon time."