Samba paddy fields turn into cattle grazing grounds

Thanjavur: Samba paddy fields in Thanjavur district have become grazing grounds for cattle as farmers do not have water to sustain the crop raised by them this year, with rains being poor and release from the Mettur dam stopped due to poor storage.

A cow was grazing the 50 day old Andhra Ponni paddy crop raised in a field at Kalimedu village near Thanjavur on Tuesday. Arumugam, a farm workers looking after cultivation in the field for Chandrasekar, a big farmer of the village, told Deccan Chronicle that there was no other option as the possibility of sustaining the crop was ruled out. “Irrigation for this field is from the Grand Anicut canal. There is no water in the canal as release from the Grand Anicut has been stopped. How can we sustain the crop?” he asked.

A few farmers expressed the hope that they can sustain the crop if it rains in the first week of December. Farmers of Kalimedu demand that government pay them relief as they cannot sustain the crop. An agriculture department official said that he has not seen a situation like this in Thanjavur district in the past nearly 30 years. “Crops are withering wherever we go. Paddy fields have developed cracks. There is no canal water and even if it rains in December, crops cannot be saved, “the official said quoting Vallalar.

“Ground water level is also going down. Borewells may not work in a few days. We may face drinking water problem in the summer if we don’t get rain in December,” he added.