Tamil Nadu machinery fails to utilise excess rainfall

The delta region comprising Tiruchy, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam have also recorded excess rainfall this monsoon, but farmers and conservationists admit that the state machinery failed to utilise the excess rainfall.

According to Arupathy S. Kalyanam, general secretary, Federation of Farmers Associations of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts, there were heavy rainfall in Neyveli, Nagapattinam and Thanjavur districts last week, but the rains only either inundated the paddy fields or flooded the towns in delta districts.

A report by Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute (TRRI) situated in Aduthurai, Thanjavur in 1981 read that there were 12 lakh acres of irrigation land in Delta region and of this, close to 4 lakh region annually suffer regular water logging. Despite the research institute alerting the state, the state governments irrespective of regimes have done nothing to convert these 4 lakh water logged acres in to a perennial source for water conservation.

If there is a political will and the delta river network with its 36 rivulets can be cleared and maintained there will not be flood in at least three districts of Tamil Nadu, he said. Despite representations to the state government demanding floating excavators to clear the 2,517 km river network nothing much has been done, he alleged.

“All these years, little research is done on weather and ecological imbalances. There has to be more authoritative research and policies on earth and natural sciences in Tamil Nadu,” said wildlife activist

K. Mohan Raj based in Coimbatore. A senior PWD official maintained that restoring rivers and reviving catchment areas is a political policy decision by government and blaming the PWD is of no use.