Poor monsoon hits ‘kar' paddy cultivation

TIRUNELVELI: Vast stretch of cultivable lands, which usually have green cover during the month of July with ‘Kar' paddy saplings, remain arid as the southwest monsoon has let down the district for the second consecutive year.

Though the ‘kar' paddy cultivation is taken up on 20,000 hectares of land every year under Papanasam, Manimuthar, Servalar, Gadana, Ramanadhi and Advainainar dams, the scarce rainfall during the Southwest Monsoon season has discouraged the farmers of Tirunelveli, Palayamkottai and lower regions from testing their fortunes.

During February and April, the catchment areas of Papanasam, Manimuthar and Servalar dams used to experience significant precipitation every year and hence even an average rainfall during the onset of the monsoon would enable the water managers to release water on June 1 for ‘kar' paddy cultivation.

However, the catchment areas registered only 43.08 mm rainfall this year against the normal precipitation of 131.30 mm, restricting the officials to release water only in three irrigation channels.

While the agriculturists in Ambasamudram and Cheranmahadevi regions started farming operations due to their proximity to Papanasam, Manimuthar and Servalar dams and with the water released in South Kodaimelazhagiyan, North Kodaimelazhagiyan and Nadhiyunni channels, farmers in other regions are not prepared to take the risk this year too.

Source: Hindu, 28-7-2010