The disbursal of compensation for farmers in the district who suffered losses during the mid-August floods is expected to be completed by the end of this month.
Sources in the Department of Agriculture said around ₹16 crore had already been disbursed. A total of 21,000 applications had been received by the department from farmers across the district. The department has sought another ₹3 crore from the State government to complete the distribution of compensation.
Farmers in the district suffered heavy losses in the floods and heavy rain that lashed the State in July and August. The department had put the losses at around ₹200 crore. The total area affected by the floods and rain was 6,481 hectares. The crops affected included banana, tapioca, paddy, rubber, pineapple, ginger, and turmeric.
According to initial estimates, more than 3,100 hectares of banana plantations were affected, and both bunched and non-bunched plants were destroyed. Around 100 hectares of rubber plantation were also hit by the floods.
The villages of Karumalloor, Kalady, and Malayattoor and areas in and around Kothamangalam were the worst affected.
Karumalloor was among the villages that saw even agriculture offices get inundated. The flooding of agriculture offices had resulted in the loss of key land documents.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that attack on crops like tapioca, banana, vegetable cowpea, and okra by spodoptera litura, commonly called army worm, in villages like Keezhmadu, Vazhakkulam, Parakkadavu, and Perumbavoor has been brought under control. Scientists from the Kerala Agricultural University and the Department of Agriculture had visited the villages early this month to recommend measures to contain the pest attack.
The team had recommended the use of baits to control the attack, and farmers have vouched for the effectiveness of the measures.