TIRUCHY: Moderate to heavy rain across the Delta region from Wednesday evening to Thursday morning submerged thousands of samba nurseries, prompting farmers to seek immediate measures to drain stagnant water from the fields.

The rain affected several parts of Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai districts, where samba crops are still at the nursery stage. Farmers warned that the nurseries could be damaged if the water did not recede within a few days.

According to rainfall data, Needamangalam in Tiruvarur district recorded the highest rainfall at 80 mm, followed by Tiruvarur town at 56 mm and Thiruthuraipoondi at 46.8 mm. Sporadic downpours submerged samba nurseries in several parts of the district, particularly Needamangalam, Thiruthuraipoondi and Tiruvarur town.

Nagapattinam district also received steady rainfall, with Vedaranyam recording 59.6 mm, Thirupoondi 44.8 mm and Thalainayar 42.2 mm. Mayiladuthurai district, too, received widespread rainfall.

Farmers in Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai said the sudden downpour had submerged nurseries in areas where samba cultivation had begun. They urged the authorities to take immediate steps to drain the stagnant water to prevent damage to the young crops.

The Northeast monsoon, which began as predicted, has gathered pace over the past few days across the Delta region. Thanjavur, Tiruchy and Pudukkottai districts received moderate rainfall, which had no adverse impact, according to the report.