Kerala - Alappuzha   

Torrential rain affects paddy cultivation in Alappuzha again

Submerged: A scene from near Mankombu on the flooded Alappuzha-Changanassery road on Thursday. The water levels in the AC Canal and other waterways in the district continue to rise.

ALAPPUZHA: The rise in water level in Achencoil, Pampa and Manimala rivers has started affecting the second round of paddy cultivation in the district.

Farmers who had put up a brave face in the wake of crop loss during the ‘puncha’ cultivation due to untimely rain in March are in trouble again. Fear of bund breaches and inundated paddy fields are now keeping them on tenterhooks. Hopes of a satisfactory crop yield by September seem to be getting washed away in rain, again.

By Thursday, the damage to the agriculture sector had already touched Rs.62 lakh. This includes damage caused to coconut, plantain, tapioca and other vegetable growers. Already 87 hectares of paddy fields in Purakad and 116 acres (44.61 hectares) in Pallathuruthy have been inundated due to bund breaches.

The second round of paddy cultivation had begun in May in 9,017.15 hectares. Farmers in the region faced challenges like acute shortage of fertilizers and financial crunches, particularly with the Centre yet to act on the demand of the State government to provide calamity relief for crop damages in March.

Officials say the exact nature and amount of damage to the agriculture sector could be ascertained only when the water level subsides.

The overall damage, estimated as on Thursday, stands at Rs.1.1 crore—Rs.62 lakh in agriculture sector and Rs.47 lakh as general damage including houses, Additional District Magistrate Koshy John said.

“On Thursday six houses were fully damaged while 108 houses suffered partial damages,” he said.

Four more relief camps have been opened. They are at Cheruthana Government U.P. School, Ayaparambu and the Kumarapuram St. James U.P. School in Karthikapally taluk, Thriperuthura in Mavelikara taluk and Thoppil Colony of Karumadi village in Ambalapuzha taluk.

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