THANJAVUR, TIRUCHY: While farmers in Tamil Nadu’s delta districts of Thanjavur and Tiruchy are relieved that Cyclone Nivar spared them from crop damage, they rued that the lack of heavy rainfall left rainfall deficits that may affect the area under cultivation.
The annual average rainfall for Thanjavur district is 1098 mm. Of this, 318 mm usually comes from the South West monsoon. This year, the district received 340 mm of rainfall during the South West monsoon. However, the ongoing North East monsoon season has not been as favourable to the State’s granary so far. The annual average rainfall during the NE monsoon is 637 mm. However, only 223 mm has been realised so far, including the 38 mm of average rainfall realised on the day Nivar made landfall.
As of November 26, Thanjavur has received only 624 mm of rainfall against the 727 mm recorded last year. Farmers hope more rains are coming, as reports suggest many low pressure systems are likely to develop in the Bay of Bengal during season.
As of now, farmers in Thanjavur cultivating samba paddy have no reason to panic as the storage level in Mettur reservoir is at a comfortable 99.46 feet (64.14 TMC). A normal monsoon would help save water in the dam that can be used during the kuruvai season next year.
However, in Tiruchy district, the rainfall deficit has led to fears that it may not be able to meet its cultivation target of 45,000 hectares for the samba paddy season, as against the usual 43,000 hectares.
The additional 2,000 hectares was for rain-fed areas while cultivation is underway in about 40,000 hectares in both delta and non-delta blocks.
But a majority of farmers in rainfed areas are yet to begin work as they have been waiting for good rains during the North East monsoon.
Though the district recorded good pre-monsoon showers in August, the monsoon has failed to bring any significant rain. The district usually records 427 mm of rain during the season but so far has received a little less than 150 mm of rainfall. Nivar, on which farmers had pinned their hopes, brought only an average of 13mm of rain.
"We were waiting for a good downpour to begin cultivation. But the region hardly received any rain," said Kadhir, a farmer in Manapparai.
A senior official in the agriculture department, however, was confident that the cultivation target of 45,000 hectares could be met as more farmers in the delta blocks have taken up cultivation. The official added that Nivar had actually helped the paddy that is in the maturing stage.