DHARMAPURI: Farmers in Dharmapuri district have urged the state government to announce the district as drought hit and offer relief to farmers.
Due to the impact of El Nino, the rains have faltered in the Dharmapuri district, with the southwest monsoon providing only about 120mm of rainfall. Further previously, the northeast monsoon which was supposed to provide about 380mm of rainfall only provided about 150mm of rainfall last year.
In Dharmapuri, two monsoons have failed and water reserves are also declining at an alarming pace, soon all water bodies will also be drained of water reserves. So, immediate efforts must be taken to announce Dharmapuri as a drought hit area.
Speaking to TNIE, J Prathapan with the Indian Farmers Association said, “At present, in fields across Dharmapuri, farmers have started purchasing a 5,000 litre tank of water for `1,300. This is happening because since November 2025, Dharmapuri has been receiving incessant rainfall. The northeast monsoon in 2025 and the present southwest monsoon is a complete failure, which is why we are facing a drought.
Farmers across the district have already announced a complete failure of sugarcane and groundnut cultivation. So, we want the government to assess the damages and provide the necessary compensation.”
Another farmer, B Ramkumar from Palacode said, “Lakes are the only source of water for farmers. With the lack of rainfall, over 636 DRDA controlled lakes and the 75 PWD controlled lakes have less than 20% of its water reserves. All eight dams across the district are also in no better situation. We need the district administration to represent the farmers’ needs and the state must assess the district and announce Dharmapuri as a drought hit area.”
When TNIE reached out to officials in the administration about the drought, they said, “At this time, we cannot comment on the issue. The entire state has been facing the impacts of the El Nino. Moreover, the southwest monsoon season has not ended and we could receive more rainfall.”
