TIRUNELVELI: After heavy rain battered parts of Tirunelveli district over the past few days, Sattupathu farmers have claimed crop damage on nearly 350 acres. A section of farmers alleged that the officials failed to provide compensation for crop damage last year, and urged them to provide compensation for crop loss this year.
They also alleged that the Vaniyan Canal of Nathiyunni Channel has not been desilted for 20 years, which has resulted in flooding in recent years.
Speaking to TNIE, K Ulaganathan said he lost his paddy crop for the second consecutive year as the Vaniyan Canal breached.
"Farmers in Sattupathu cultivated paddy crops on around 800 acres, of which 350 acres were destroyed by flash floods. I borrowed `30,000 at an interest rate of nearly 60% annually to cultivate on my 1.5 acres of land last year. However, I lost the crop to flash floods. I again borrowed money this year to cultivate paddy, which was also destroyed after rain.
Officials did not arrange compensation last year for around 90 farmers. Most farmers who were not given compensation belong to the Scheduled Caste community. We ran from pillar to post to avail compensation but to no avail. The village assistant of our village did not even accept me as a farmer. He asked me to leave his office when I approached him repeatedly," he added.
M Pichan, a septuagenarian, said the state government should ensure that all affected farmers get compensation for the losses they suffered in both 2023 and 2024. He said he lost paddy crop cultivated on an acre of land.
"I would have spent about `5,000 travelling to various government offices to seek compensation last year.
However, the officials did not respond to me properly. Some farmers who did not lose their paddy crops received compensation due to their political influence," alleged E Pandi.
Farmers including R Mariappan, E Kannan, M Murugesan, U Kumar, R Ramaiah, R Arumugam, N Murugan, and Subbu Kutti alleged that officials from the agriculture department had not visited their fields after the crop damage.
"Some revenue officials informed us that Municipal Administration Minister K N Nehru would visit our fields on Saturday. We waited for hours with petitions. However, he did not visit," they added.
No partiality shown in crop-loss survey
When contacted by TNIE, an official from the agriculture department said the staff from his department had already inspected the rain-hit paddy fields in Sattupathu and nearby Oorkadu villages. "No partiality was shown in the crop-loss survey last year. About 2,255 hectares of paddy fields and 90 hectares of banana plantations were submerged in floodwater across the district this year," he said.
District Collector Dr K P Karthikeyan said he would ask the Ambasamudram Tahsildar and Cheranmahadevi Sub-Collector (in charge) to address the farmers' issues. "I have not received any complaints in this regard during any of the farmers' grievance redressal meetings," he added.
Meanwhile, Cheranmahadevi Sub-Collector (in-charge) Ambica Jain inspected the flood-affected fields in Vadakku Karukurichi, Therku Ariyanayagipuram and Uthayamarthandapuram.
District Revenue Officer Suganya inspected the survey being conducted on affected sugarcane fields near Anavankudiyiruppu village on Sunday.