Chennai, Aug 29:
PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss on Friday urged the Tamil Nadu government to immediately declare the state drought-affected and announce a comprehensive relief package, citing a severe rainfall deficit, drying water bodies and a sharp fall in cultivation in the Cauvery delta.
In a statement, Anbumani said Tamil Nadu was facing an increasingly serious water crisis and warned that the situation could worsen if immediate measures were not taken.
He compared the situation with neighbouring Karnataka, which, according to him, had declared 101 taluks drought-affected after receiving nearly 30 per cent less southwest monsoon rainfall.
Karnataka received only 465 mm of rainfall against the normal 666 mm between June 1 and August 26, while cultivation was reported to have covered only 71 per cent of the normal area.
Anbumani claimed that Tamil Nadu’s situation was even more serious, with the state receiving only around 180 mm of rainfall between June 1 and August 25.
He highlighted the impact on kuruvai cultivation in the Cauvery delta, saying the cultivated area had fallen sharply from 6.31 lakh acres last year to around two lakh acres this year.
The PMK leader also cited the condition of water bodies across the state. Of Tamil Nadu’s 14,141 water bodies, 4,208 had reportedly dried up completely, while another 5,814 had storage levels between one and 25 per cent.
The situation was particularly critical in Cauvery-irrigated districts, he said, pointing out that 694 of the 737 water bodies dependent on the Cauvery, Grand Anicut and Vennar canals were reportedly dry.
Warning of a possible drinking-water crisis, Anbumani demanded a complete waiver of crop loans taken by farmers.
He sought Rs 10,000 per acre for farmers who were unable to cultivate kuruvai, Rs 40,000 per acre for those who suffered crop losses and another Rs 10,000 per acre for farmers unable to undertake samba cultivation.
He also sought one-time assistance of Rs 25,000 for landless agricultural labourers.
The demands put pressure on the government to assess the rainfall and water-storage situation comprehensively and consider immediate relief measures for the farming community.