The Hindu : Nagapattinam farmers not in favour of alternative crops

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 22, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Nagapattinam farmers not in favour of alternative crops

By Our Staff Reporter

NAGAPATTINAM, FEB. 21. Farmers of the Vennar region in Nagapattinam district are not in favour of raising an alternative crop, according to K.Manoharan, member of the Central Drought Inspection team, which visited Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur districts today.

Talking to reporters at Melapidagai, Mr.Manoharan said his interaction with farmers revealed that they were not in favour of alternative crop cultivation. Admitting that crop loss in this region was severe, he said drinking water availability was also affected.

Earlier, Mr.Manoharan and K. Vivekanand interacted with the farmers of Kizhvenmani, Sattiyakudi, Anakudi and Melapidagai. At Kizhvenmani, the farmers, to a query from Mr. Manoharan, said it would not be possible take up alternative crop cultivation since the region had to depend only on surface water for irrigation. ``Already we have incurred a heavy loss owing to non-availability of surface water and groundwater turning saline at several places. Under these circumstances it will not be possible to take up alternative crop cultivation assuming monsoon will come to our rescue,'' they said.

A group of agricultural labourers at Anakudi demanded free supply of 30 kg rice per month a family and also launching of food-for-work programme.

Permanent solution to Cauvery dispute sought

Farmers' representatives, in memorandums submitted to the team, also highlighted the need for a permanent solution to the Cauvery dispute.

The Thiruthuraipoondi MLA, G. Palanichamy, said that while the farmers were not able to take up kuruvai cultivation this season, the samba crop, raised on about 8 lakh acres under direct sowing and delayed transplantation methods, withered for non-availability of water.

Terming the current season the worst, the general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Cauvery Delta Farmers Welfare Association, S. Ranganthan, said Karnataka's refusal to release water, in spite of several directions by the Supreme Court and the Cauvery River Authority, had hit farmers hard.

Having been affected by two successive crop failures (in 2001-02 and in 2002-03), the farmers were initially reluctant to take up any cultivation during this season until the State Government decided to release water from Mettur on October 7, 2003.

But the supply was not available continuously and beyond November first week. Even the northeast monsoon provided only some support till December first week. The crop in most areas started withering.

Another major setback to the farmers was the damage caused to the groundwater source. In earlier days, continuous flow of water in all Cauvery systems for over seven months a year kept the groundwater table well charged to meet any emergency. But the level depleted as the farmers depended on this source due to poor flow in the Cauvery systems.

In a memorandum, the State joint secretary of the DMK Farmers Wing, Kottur A. Rajasekaran, requested the Central and State Governments to make efforts to pass final orders on the Cauvery issue.

The Federation of Farmers Associations in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts, represented by its president, M. Cheran and general secretary, Arupathi Kalyanam, claimed that monsoon in delta districts was only a supportive source. Water supply available in June-July and August-September from Mettur played a key role.

The Thamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam (M.R. Sivasamy group), Nagapattinam unit, represented by its president, S.K.G. Gridharan, wanted the Cauvery issue solved benefiting farmers of both States.

The Nagapattinam District Farmers Welfare Association, represented by its vice-president, S. Ramamurthy Varma, demanded that the CRA chairman ensure that Karnataka implemented the interim award during the southwest monsoon.

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