TIRUVARUR/NAGAPATTINAM: Samba crops on a total of 68,652 hectares have been inundated by the recent rain, Chief Minister MK Stalin told reporters at Mannargudi on Saturday after inspecting crops in Cuddalore, Nagappattinam, Mayiladuthurai and Tiruvarur.
Stalin said, "Samba paddy has been cultivated on a total of 17.46 lakh hectares this season. A committee headed by Cooperation Minister I Periyasamy has conducted a preliminary survey and briefed me about the situation. It will submit a report shortly. Officials have been told to drain water from the fields. Farmers who have completely lost the crop will receive compensation, and others will receive all help to continue farming. A sum of Rs 65 crore has been allocated for desilting waterbodies to a length of 4,000 km. This has helped Cauvery water reach the tail-end areas. The government had, during the last four months, carried out preparatory works like desiliting stormwater drains to an extent of 720 km in the State capital. Similarly, water release from Chembarambakkam and Poondi lakes were regulated and surplus water released at the right time. This averted a tragedy like the one in 2015."
Stalin also said 169 relief camps were conducted in Chennai, as many as 2,888 people living in low-lying areas were evacuated and housed in 44 relief centres in a week's time.
“The government has formed a Chennai Metro Flood Management Committee, with retired IAS officer V Thiruppugazh as chairperson, who has worked with the National Disaster Management Authority. He is also Chief Secretary Irai Anbu’s brother. Experts from Anna University and IIT Madras will also work with this committee to find a permanent solution to flooding in Chennai by designing a geographical contour-based drain system," Stalin added.
Responding to a question, Stalin said compensation will be announced for farmers based on the report to be submitted by the committee headed by Periyasamy. To another question, he said a Central team would visit the State to assess rain-related damage. On the question of delay in payment of crop insurance claims to farmers, Stalin said he had spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard.
Later, Stalin inspected farms at Periyakkottai in Thanjavur district.
Stalin also inspected the crop damaged at Karunganni in Keezhaiyur block and Arunthavampulam in Thalaignayiru block of Nagapattinam district. He inspected crops at Erukkur in Sirkazhi block of Mayiladuthurai district. At Tharangambadi, he inspected damage in residential areas.
Nagapattinam Collector A Arun Thamburaj and Mayiladuthurai Collector R Lalitha briefed him on crop losses and damage in their districts.
Municipal Administration Minister KN Nehru, Environment Minister Siva V Meyyanathan and Periyasamy accompanied the Chief Minister.
Explaining loss faced at different growth stages of paddy, 'Cauvery' V Dhanabalan, a farmer representative from Nagapattinam district, requested the government to compensate everyone who has faced damage over 33 per cent in their crops.
S Sridhar, a farmer representative from Nagapattinam district, said, "We request the Chief Minister to allot a separate package to desilt drain channels in Nagapattinam district. We also urge him to provide a disaster relief of Rs 35000 per acre for farmers who have lost their crops."
'Arupathi' P Kalyanam, a farmer representative from Mayiladuthurai district, said, "Farmers who faced loss owing to unseasonal rain this year are yet to receive proper amount of crop insurance. We request the government to come up with a new insurance scheme."