Tamil Nadu delta farmers seek Rs 35,000 per acre relief for rain-hit crops

The Cauvery Delta, long hailed as Tamil Nadu’s rice bowl, now lies under a blanket of despair. Vast stretches of emerald fields have turned into shallow lakes as relentless rainwater continues to stagnate across thousands of acres, imperilling both the harvested kuruvai and the standing samba paddy crops.

Farmers, staring at mounting losses, have urged the Tamil Nadu government to grant enhanced compensation of Rs 35,000 per acre, coupled with a swift and transparent damage assessment to capture the full scale of the devastation.

According to the All Farmers Association Coordination Committee, more than one lakh acres of kuruvai fields in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, and Mayiladuthurai districts remain submerged. In addition, over 50,000 acres of standing samba crops are under threat, with little hope of the floodwaters receding anytime soon.

Many cultivators, desperate to save what remains of their crops, are hiring motor pumps at their own expense to drain stagnant water — a costly battle against time and nature.

“The samba crops are beginning to rot in the waterlogged fields. Even the harvested kuruvai stock has suffered rain damage, as the procurement process moves painfully slow,” said P.R. Pandian, president of the coordination committee.

He described the situation as particularly grim in Tiruvarur district, especially in villages like Arasur and Ilaiyur, where farmers have watched helplessly as their fields drown.

Pandian warned that the procurement crisis was compounding the misery. “A shortage of gunny bags has stalled paddy collection at several Direct Procurement Centres (DPCs). Nearly two lakh metric tonnes of paddy remain uncollected in Tiruvarur district alone,” he said, adding that similar conditions prevail in the neighbouring delta districts.

He urged the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) to transport high-moisture paddy immediately to prevent further spoilage and to ramp up procurement on a war footing.

Calling for systemic reform, Pandian pressed for the creation of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to streamline paddy procurement and prevent such crises in future.

He also alleged mismanagement in the transportation of procured grain.

“Lorry operations are not under the direct supervision of TNCSC officials. Contractors dictate the logistics, leaving room for inefficiency and corruption. Unless the state takes control, accountability will remain elusive,” he said.

As the rains recede and the fields remain sodden, the farmers of the delta — once nourished by the life-giving Cauvery — now look to the state for rescue. For many, this season has become a cruel reminder that even fertile soil can turn hostile when governance and preparedness fall short.

With IANS inputs