TIRUNELVELI/TENKASI: Farmers and residents of Tirunelveli and Tenkasi districts have urged the respective district administrations to regularly release rainfall data for all areas where Automatic Rain Gauges (ARGs) have been installed, insisting that citizens have a “right” to know how much rainfall their localities have received.
At present, three taluks in Tenkasi district — Alangulam, Veerakeralampudur, and Thiruvengadam — do not have Standard (manual) Rain Gauges (SRGs). Of the 10 existing SRGs in the district, five have been installed inside dams, resulting in the absence of locality-specific rainfall information for several areas.
Residents said people in the three taluks remain uninformed about the rainfall they receive. Similarly, in Tirunelveli district, people in Manur taluk are unable to know the actual rainfall recorded in their area, while nine of the 18 SRGs in the district have been installed in Ambasamudram taluk alone.
On the other hand, Tirunelveli and Tenkasi districts have 47 and 36 ARGs, respectively. However, farmers alleged that the data collected through these gauges is not being shared publicly.
T Sankaralingam, a farmer from Alangulam in Tenkasi district, said the farming community must be provided with rainfall data, as it would help them compare rainfall levels across the district, identify shortages, and create momentum among the public and officials on crop loss assessment.
“We hear that both district administrations have adequate numbers of ARGs, including five in Alangulam, four in Thiruvengadam, and three in Veerakeralampudur. However, the Disaster Management Department is not sharing rainfall data during rainy days. Even after installing these gauges, why are the district administrations apathetic about keeping the public informed of rainfall levels? Is it not the right of every citizen to know?” he asked.
When contacted, Tirunelveli Collector Dr R Sukumar and Tenkasi Collector A K Kamal Kishore said they would do the needful in response to the public demand.
“We are taking steps to include rainfall data from 47 ARGs, covering several firkas, in the daily rainfall report. This will give people a clear picture of the rainfall they have received. While rainfall levels have to be measured manually in SRGs, ARGs transmit hourly data automatically without human intervention,” said a Tahsildar-level official in Tirunelveli.