The Hindu : Antony to hold talks with Central team

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 24, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Antony to hold talks with Central team

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, FEB. 23. The Chief Minister, A. K. Antony, will hold discussions with the Central team, touring the State to assess the drought in the State, here on Tuesday morning.

Earlier, the team had held discussions with the Revenue Minister, K. M. Mani, and the Finance Minister, K. Sankaranarayanan, in Kottayam and Malampuzha respectively.

They would hold discussions with the Chief Secretary, N. Chandrasekharan Nair, and Secretaries to the Government after their meeting with the Chief Minister, an official release said.

The six-member team, led by Joint Secretary (Agriculture), J. P. Meena, had reached here on February 20.

They toured the Kottayam, Palakkad, Wayanad, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Kannur districts from February 21.

Meanwhile, according to a memorandum submitted by the State Government to the Centre, various crops in the drought-affected areas of the State have suffered loss of yields ranging from 60 to 85 per cent.

Paddy crop had been hit right from the nursery stage. Cultural operations were hindered triggering weed infestation. Out of 28,000 hectares of puncha crop in Kuttanad, 5,000 hectares were hit by salt-water intrusion. About 1,551 hectares were completely damaged in Ambalappuzha, Harippad and Chambakulam blocks, it said.

Drought affected primordial initiation in coconuts. The yield reduction, which would be about 60 to 70 per cent, will become evident only after a year.

Vegetables in various stages from planting to fruiting stages, the memorandum said, had been affected resulting in wilting, total crop failure. An about 60-75 per cent yield loss was anticipated.

In pepper, flushing, flowering and spike setting have been adversely affected, causing wilting of vines and yield reduction. The dry spell caused protracted flowering and drastically affected berry setting with 65 to 80 per cent yield reduction.

In banana, 60 to 70 per cent yield reduction due to poor development of bunches is projected.

In cardamom, the dry spell severely affected panicle development and capsule setting in the crop. Poor fruit set in coffee would lead to a yield loss of 65 per cent. Rubber, nutmeg, ginger and other crops too have been affected.

Highlighting the water shortage resulting from drop in water table, the memorandum said that Rs. 55 crores would have to be spent for supply of drinking water through tanker lorries. Rs. 25 crores would be required for repair of traditional wells and ponds.

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