Paddy, banana crop inundated with water face bleak prospects

TIRUCHI Chances of saving the standing paddy crop in Lalgudi block and banana crop raised in Anthana

Chances of saving the standing paddy crop in Lalgudi block and banana crop raised in Anthanallur block in Tiruchi district appear bleak due to inundation of water for a week.

While the banana crop raised in Thiruvalarcholai, Panayapuram, Uthamarseeli and Kilikoodu on the northern banks of the Cauvery River bears the brunt of inundation due to the flow of flood water from the Cauvery, the flood from the Kollidam has affected the paddy crop raised in Anbil, Ariyur, Sengaraiyur, T. Kalvikudi and Alangudi Mahajanam.

According to official sources, paddy crop raised on more than 600 acres in Lalgudi block has been marooned for seven days. The flow of more than one lakh cusecs of water is said to have caused water inundation on the fields close to the Kollidam River. The fields are under water since the Kollidam barrage was reopened to discharge flood water from the Upper Anicut on Wednesday.

Similarly, about 400 acres of ‘nendran’ variety of banana in Thiruvalarcholai, Uthamarseeli, Panayapuram and Kilikoodu has been affected with water inundation.

While water has receded to an extent on about 200 acres, remaining banana crop is still surrounded by three to four feet of water for seven days. Along with the officials of the agricultural department, Collector M. Pradeep Kumar visited the flood affected fields for the third time on Tuesday. He also met the affected farmers, who expressed their concern over the poor prospects of the heavily inundated crop.

“As per the preliminary inputs, continuous heavy discharge of flood water in the Cauvery and the Kollidam rivers has hit the paddy and banana crop in the district. The exact extent of damage will be known after the water recedes from the affected areas. The situation is being closely monitored,” Mr. Kumar told The Hindu.

While acknowledging the concern of the farmers, M. Murugesan, Joint Director of Agriculture, said that chances of reviving the paddy fields, which were under water for more than seven days, were limited. The paddy crop in Lalgudi block was in the panicle initiation stage. The young crop could not withstand the water inundation for more than a week. Moreover, water was yet to recede from the affected paddy fields. As far as inundated banana crop was concerned, chances of revival were less for the young crop of less than three months old. Others could be revived