Assessment of crop damage in Ramanathapuram district under way

The district, which normally received 48.50 mm rainfall in January, had received 247.30 mm till January 20, said TN Agriculture Director V. Dakshinamoorthy here on Friday.

Speaking to reporters, he said that the unseasonal rainfall had damaged the crops and also resulted inundation in many areas. After inspecting a few spots in R S Mangalam, Nainarkoil and other panchayats, accompanied by District Collector Dinesh Ponraj Oliver and other officials, he said that the district had raised paddy and other crops in about 87,000 hectares.

Assessement on the damages was under way by the field officers. He hoped to get the survey completed by January 29 and submit reports to the government after which the exact relief would be made known.

Many farmers claimed that they had lost all the crop and pleaded to be given ₹30,000 as compensation per acre. Mr. Dakshinamoorthy said that he would take it up with the government and farmers need not have apprehensions. In many villages, the farmers said that the crops, which were ready for harvest were completely submerged under water. “There is no way, we can drain the water and the paddy has submerged totally. After taking care for 100 days, during the last 21 days or so, the rain played spoilsport”, the farmers said.

At a review meeting held at the Collectorate, Mr. Dakshinamoorthy held discussions with the officials concerned on the assessment made so far on paddy, millets, cotton and other crops.