PUDUKKOTTAI: Farmers in the district stare at crop losses and reduced yield as their crops reel under the devastating impact of the drought that struck Pudukkottai in the first week of December 2022. Farmers from the villages of Mimisal, Kottaipattinam Firkhas, and a few areas of Aranthangi and Manalmelkudi said their areas lacked rainfall for the past one month or more, causing crop damage.
They now seek drought relief from the state government. Officials are yet to estimate the damages incurred. However, agriculture department officials said around 2,500 hectares in Kottaipattinam and Mimisal firkas have been affected due to the drought. John Britto a farmer from Velivayal panchayat, said, "We live in 'Manavari' (a land solely dependent on rainwater).
Moderate rains in November encouraged us to cultivate samba crops. However, the rains declined over the days, resulting in crop damage. Around 9 acres of my cultivation, for which I spent around Rs 26,000, have been ruined." P K Kalimuthu, a farmer from Vettivayal panchayat, expressed anxiety over repaying the loans he acquired through society loan schemes. A Govindarasu of AIKKMS demanded drought relief funds. ''We also demand crop insurance relief.
The state government should come up with a long-term solution so that the villages here do not get affected by droughts. Water connections must be made available to these villages." According to officials, Mimisal Firka, one of the worst affected panchayats in the district, comprises of 10 revenue villages. Kottaipattinam, another village affected similarly, has 13 revenue villages and a population of about 25,000 people. Of them, 70 percent are involved in farming, officials added.
A district-level agriculture department official said, "Several areas in Kottaipattinam, Mimisal, Manalmelgudi and Aranthangi were identified as affected by droughts in a field inspection we conducted last week. Around 2,500 hectares of cultivation have been estimated to be damaged. We were accompanied by insurance officers during the inspection. We are confident that the farmers would be given relief under the PM scheme. We submitted a detailed report to the state government. It is now up to the government to provide drought relief to the farmers affected."