TN farmers reel under cyclone Ditwah's fury, thousands of acres submerged: Inbadurai
Cyclone Ditwah and the ensuing monsoon rains have devastated paddy, banana, sugarcane, betel and other crops across the delta region.
Cyclone Ditwah (Photo: Hemanathan M)
NEW DELHI: AIADMK member IS Inbadurai on Wednesday flagged the catastrophic impact of cyclone Ditwah on Tamil Nadu's farmers during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, urging the Centre to immediately dispatch an assessment team as thousands of acres of cropland remains submerged.
Cyclone Ditwah and the ensuing monsoon rains have devastated paddy, banana, sugarcane, betel and other crops across the delta region.
In Tirunelveli district, paddy cultivation in Tenkashi and Ramanathapuram lies completely underwater, threatening the livelihoods of thousands of farming families.
The MP invoked former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami's repeated demands to the state government to dig canals and ponds before the monsoon to prevent such disasters. He said proper survey of crop damage and timely assistance to affected farmers had not been provided.
With farmlands still under two feet of water after more than 10 days, the crisis has been compounded by administrative hurdles.
Thousands of farmers cultivating ancestral land without updated title deeds often in the names of deceased family members are unable to access crop insurance, leaving them without any financial support.
Chennai is grappling with two feet of waterlogging despite Rs 4 crore reportedly spent on drainage systems, he said.
Inbadurai called on the central government to immediately send a team to assess damage and ensure timely and adequate compensation to the state's farming community.