The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has urged the State government to declare compensation for the loss suffered by the farmers as the kuruvai crop raised by them was affected by the recent unexpected heavy rain.

A resolution passed at the party’s district executive committee meeting held here on Friday, said lodging of the kuruvai crop, which was ready for harvest, had been reported on thousands of acres due to the heavy rain in the district.

Similarly, plantain and other cash crops raised in the villages located along the Coleroon river banks were also damaged due to the heavy release of water into the river from the Mettur Dam.

Since the farmers had spent more than ₹25,000 per acre to raise the paddy crop, the government should survey the crop loss and declare adequate compensation to them, it added.

Meanwhile, the coordination committee of All Farmers’ Associations in Tamil Nadu claimed that the farmers who had taken up ‘kuruvai’ cultivation this season, were in a disadvantageous position as the panicles remained in rainwater at several places for the past few days due to the slow draining of rainwater.

Urging the State government to initiate crop loss enumeration on a war footing, the committee coordinator, P.R. Pandian, in a statement, demanded a sum of ₹35,000 per acre as compensation to the affected farmers.

Dad the crop insurance been made available for the current ‘kuruvai’ crop, the affected farmers would become eligible to receive ₹45,000 per acre as insurance compensation, he pointed out.

Further, cash crops raised in the villages located on the banks of the Cauvery and Coleroon rivers right from Karur to Cuddalore districts had also been affected due to the release of water from the Mettur Dam. Such farmers should also be compensated for the losses, he added.

Source - https://www.thehindu.com