Farmers protest on Poompuhar road near Sirkazhi over crop damage from unseasonal rain
The Hindu
Farmers protest unseasonal rain damage, block road in Sirkazhi, supported by shop shutdown, officials promise relief measures.
Farmers on Wednesday staged a road blockade on Poompuhar Main Road at Dharmakulam Market Street near Sirkazhi, protesting against officials for allegedly failing to inspect crops damaged by unseasonal rain. The protest was supported by a shutdown of over a hundred shops in Dharmakulam area.
The unseasonal rain last week caused damage to samba paddy crop that were ready for harvest in more than 15 villages including Thiruvengadu, Radhanallur, Manigramam, Melayur, Neithavalam, Vanagiri, Melaperumpallam, and Keezhperumpallam. Despite four days since the damage, agricultural and revenue officials had not conducted field inspections.
Led by Melayur Farmers Association President Rajadurai, over 100 farmers took to the streets, holding damaged paddy crops in their hands and raising slogans condemning the inaction of officials. The protest disrupted traffic on the Poompuhar-Sirkazhi road for a short period.
To support the farmers’ demands, businesses in the Dharmakulam area remained closed in solidarity. Police inspectors from Poompuhar and Thiruvengadu, along with revenue officials, held talks with the protesters. Later, senior agricultural officials arrived and assured the farmers that the damaged crops would be assessed, and relief measures initiated promptly.
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Farmers protest unseasonal rain damage, block road in Sirkazhi, supported by shop shutdown, officials promise relief measures.