THANJAVUR: The state has issued orders to pay Rs 16.85 crore as relief to 22,533 farmers from the Cauvery delta who lost kuruvai due to deficit rainfall during the southwest monsoon and insufficient release of water from Mettur dam.
The funds are being released from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) as per a G.O. issued on February 13.
According to enumeration taken up in the four delta districts of Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur, the yield loss was more than 33% in around 12,484 hectares.
Following this the government issued orders to release Rs 16.85 crore as relief. The farmers will get Rs 13,500 per hectare as relief.
Of the four districts, Nagapattinam was affected the worst as paddy cultivated over 12,125 hectares by 21,816 farmers was lost. Farmers in the district will get a total of Rs 16.73 crore as relief.
A total of 623 farmers in Tiruvarur will get a total of Rs 38.47 lakh for paddy loss over 285 hectares, where the yield loss was more than 33%.
In Thanjavur district, 77 farmers will get a total of Rs 7.52 lakh, while in Mayiladuthurai district, 17 farmers will get a total of Rs 2.38 lakh as relief, the government order stated. It may be noted that following demands by farmers whose crop was damaged owing to lack of Cauvery water release by Karnataka, Chief Minister MK Stalin had on October 5, 2023, announced a compensation of Rs 13,500 per hectare.