THANJAVUR/TIRUVARUR: The overnight rain in Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts on Tuesday came as relief yet again for farmers who have cultivated samba paddy, particularly in the absence of Cauvery water from Mettur dam for irrigation.
Save for two, all the 21 rain gauge stations in Thanjavur recorded rainfall during the 24-hour period that ended at 8.30 am on Wednesday. In Tiruvarur, all nine stations recorded rainfall in the corresponding period, of which Needamangalam recorded the highest at 75 mm.
“The rain is helpful to farmers who have cultivated samba paddy either by using groundwater or by direct sowing method using earlier rain spells,” said PS Masilamani, a farmer from Tiruvarur and the state general secretary of Tamil Nadu Farmers Association.
S Rajan, a farmer from Pattukkottai in Thanjavur said the rains are helpful but not for farmers harvesting kuruvai paddy. It may be noted that samba paddy has been cultivated so far in about 1.38 lakh acres in Thanjavur district and 1.24 lakh acres in Tiruvarur district. Meanwhile, the rainfall recorded in other places in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur districts (in mm) are: Tiruvarur (52), Nannilam (48), Tiruthuraipoondi (36), Mannargudi (24), Kumbakonam (19), Orathanadu (13) and Papanasam (10).