The Hindu : Despite rain, cultivation drops in Dindigul dt.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 06, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Despite rain, cultivation drops in Dindigul dt.

By Our Staff Reporter

DINDIGUL JAN. 5. Despite an increase in rainfall during this monsoon, dry and wet crop cultivation area has shrunk drastically in the district owing to poor storage in dams, low groundwater recharge and lack of uniform distribution.

The worst affected areas are the Athoor union, the Marudhanadhi irrigation area, the Natham, Dindigul, Nilakottai and Vedasanthur blocks.

The area of rain-fed crop cultivation in the Natham, Nilakottai and Dindigul blocks has decreased sharply. Usually, Nilakottai and Batlagundu farmers raise paddy on 2,000 ha with water from the Vaigai dam.

But this year they could not raise paddy. Lack of rain between May and June prevented farmers of the Vedasanthur, Natham and Dindigul blocks from sowing rain-fed crops.

Though the district received 707.4 mm so far against 610.6 mm during the previous year, sowing was affected owing to poor rainfall of 55.6 mm in September, which is the peak sowing season.

In October alone, 400 mm was recorded. It reduced by half in November and came down to 26 mm in December.

But in the previous years, poor rainfall did not shrink cultivation area, as there was a uniform distribution between June and January in 2001.

The district received 59.2 mm between January and February 2002. But the rain did not continue in November and December.

Also, short and heavy spells in October were not enough to recharge groundwater and this resulted in depletion of well water.

In the Palani block, cotton cultivation dwindled significantly, as many farmers shifted to maize, which had good demand in upcountry markets.

Cotton was raised only on 6,000 ha against 8,000 ha during the previous year; oil seeds cultivation came down to 9,500 ha from last year's 24,000 ha; pulses cultivation to 54, 000 ha from 70,000 and sugarcane to 5,600 ha from 7,000 during the same period last year.

However, there was no threat to the existing crops as storage in the Varadamanadhi, Kudiraiyar and Palarporuthalar dams was comfortable, thanks to heavy rain in Kodaikanal.

Despite the delay in sowing, storage in dams would be sufficient to supply water to protect crops till harvest.

In the Palani block alone, transplantation has taken place on 1,000 ha. Paddy was raised on 14,240 ha against 18,480 ha during the previous year.

Public Works Department officials expressed concern at poor storage in dams in other parts, as the failure of summer rain would accentuate the drinking water crisis.

Though the district received 59.2 mm rain last summer, which was above the district average of 44.7 mm, it experienced acute drinking water crisis.

Conservation of water and its judicial use alone would help farmers tide over the crisis in future, they say.

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