NAGAPATTINAM: As rain continued to lash the coastal delta region on Wednesday, with areas like Velankanni, Kodiyakarai and Karaikal recording 11 cm each during a 24-hour period that ended at 8.30 am, farmers stare at samba and thaladi paddy cultivation loss over several thousands of hectares as the fields have been under water for three consecutive days.
The rainfall recorded in the three aforementioned areas during the 24-hour period is next only to the reading at the DGP office gauge station in Chennai. Other places in the coastal delta region also recorded rainfall. Nagapattinam town recorded 8 cm while Vedaranyam, Thirukkuvalai and Sembanarkoil received 7 cm. Thirupoondi, Sirkazhi and Mayiladuthurai received 6 cm of rainfall each.
The regional meteorological centre of the Indian Meteorological Department in Chennai forecasting more rain in the delta region despite the deep depression projected to move away from the state has left farmers worrying more. C Sabanathan of Madapuram in Keezhaiyur block of Nagapattinam district said, “I cultivated kuruvai paddy over around 25 acres with a lot of struggle, without sufficient River Cauvery water. This time, my thaladi cultivation has been completely wiped out in the rainwater stagnation of three days. It is difficult to drain the fields due to drain channels overflowing.” The situation is no different for farmers in Mayiladuthurai district.
Unlike their counterparts in Nagapattinam, around 90 % of farmers in Mayiladuthurai completed kuruvai paddy cultivation due to the availability of groundwater. However, the monsoon showers has hit around 10 % of farmers who are cultivating only one crop a year in Kollidam block. V Manoharan of Pazhayapalayam in the block said, "I chose to cultivate a long-duration variety crop this samba to make up for a lack of kuruvai cultivation. However, my crop has been under water for three days and I could not drain it due to continuing downpour and the lack of drain channel management."