The Hindu : Central team to submit report on drought in a week

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 23, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Central team to submit report on drought in a week

By Our Tamil Nadu Bureau

VELLORE, FEB. 22. A Central team, which visited drought-affected districts in the State during the last two days would submit its report to the Union Agriculture Ministry within a week, Dhinesh Rai, Managing Director, National Cooperative Development Corporation, and leader of the three-member group, said. The team visited Tiruvallur and Vellore districts.

Talking to presspersons at Arakkonam at the conclusion of their visit, Mr. Rai said the visit to the two districts and inspection of water sources revealed that they were facing severe drought. "The State Government has already submitted its memorandum to the Centre and we will try to help them."

After witnessing the dry irrigation tank at Ammanur near Arakkonam, he told Agriculture department officials to convene a meeting and advise the farmers to cultivate crops, which required less water.

Mr. Rai said the team touring the State would hold discussions with the State Government officials in Chennai on Monday.

Withered crops

Farmers pleaded with the team, which visited Thanjavur district, to convey to the Centre the problems faced by them owing to crop failure for want of water.

The team visited Ulur east and west villages near Orathanadu. At Ulur, they were shown the withered groundnut, black gram and gingeley crops, which were cultivated for want of water.

The team listened to grievances of farmers at Paruthikottai, Kollukadu, Aandivayal, and Rettaivayal in Peravurani taluk.

S. Kosalaraman, Thanjavur Collector, and P. Rajendran, Project officer, District Rural Development Agency, accompanied the team.

Women block convoy

Women with empty pots, demanding drinking water, blocked the convoy of the team at several places in Namakkal district. They demanded that they be given "at least a pot of water a day." They handed over memoranda to the team. The three-member team was led by Ganapathy, Additional Adviser, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India.

Hundreds of Dalit women and men also stopped the convoy at Elur Pudupatti demanding water. People at Peria Manali and Pollachipatti also blocked the road. The team had to make unscheduled stops to collect memoranda from villagers in the drought-affected blocks of Rasipuram and Puduchatram. Officials noted that even irrigation wells in these areas had gone dry and hence the crop loss was heavy.

The team also visited Kalyani, Elur Pudupatti, Periya Manali, Pavureddipatti, Pollachipatti and Ayeepalayam.

A two-member team also visited some drought-affected areas in Pudukottai. The team held discussions with farmers at Aranthangi. At Athani (South) they inspected the dry paddy fields and interacted with the farmers. The team visited Athani North, Eganivayal, Melmangalam and Karavayal villages and inspected the huge tank at Eganivayal village, which had gone dry.

Aravakurichi belt worst-hit

A three-member team visited the worst-hit Aravakurichi belt in Karur district today. At the end of its visit, the team leader said the area was facing scarcity of drinking water and fodder. The team, which arrived from Namakkal, held discussions with the Collector, P. Annamalai. Mr. Annamalai briefed the team on the effects of continued drought conditions and inadequate rainfall. Drought had forced thousands of farmers to leave their land fallow while on several thousand acres, crop was badly affected.

Later, the team toured Puthambur in Karur taluk, Venjamangudalur, Sadayappagoundanpudur, Nallannagoundapudur and Esanatham, all in Aravakurichi taluk.

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