Cyclone Ditwah Wreaks Havoc on Tamil Nadu's Rice Bowl
Continuous rainfall from Cyclone Ditwah has plunged Tamil Nadu's agricultural heartland into crisis, submerging more than one lakh acres of paddy fields across the delta region for the second time within a week on Saturday. This natural disaster has dealt a crushing blow to both samba and thaladi crops, pushing thousands of farmers toward financial ruin.
Farmers Face Massive Financial Losses
S Gunasekaran, a 65-year-old farmer from Aariyalur in Tiruvarur district, expressed his despair after investing heavily in his crops. "I poured more than a lakh rupees into seeds, fertilizers, labor, and machinery to cultivate thaladi paddy across approximately 15 acres. Now, most fields are completely underwater, and I'm staring at enormous losses," he lamented.
The scale of devastation is staggering. According to senior agriculture department officials, 4 lakh hectares (nearly 10 lakh acres) of samba and thaladi crops are under cultivation across Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, and Mayiladuthurai districts. As of Saturday, approximately 50,900 hectares (1.25 lakh acres) stood waterlogged, with Nagapattinam district suffering the most severe impact.
Nagapattinam Bears the Brunt
Nagapattinam recorded the state's highest 24-hour rainfall exceeding 14cm, resulting in 8,700 hectares out of 68,101 hectares of paddy fields submerged. The situation is particularly dire for marginal farmers like V Subbaiyan, 50, from Umbalacheri in Nagapattinam.
"The two acres I cultivated using bank loans are completely underwater," Subbaiyan shared. "With more rainfall predicted and slow drainage systems, I fear losing everything I've worked for."
Agricultural officials have deployed teams to conduct field inspections and report their findings to higher authorities. However, a senior official clarified that the current situation remains at the inundation stage and cannot yet be classified as complete crop loss.
Assessment and Relief Measures
"We will conduct proper damage assessment through enumeration surveys only after floodwaters recede," the official stated. "Financial relief will be provided only where crop loss exceeds 33 percent."
The timing couldn't be worse for the agricultural cycle. Most submerged crops are in the crucial vegetative stage, characterized by tillering and stem elongation. Samba paddy crops are approximately one month old, while thaladi crops are about two weeks old, with harvest expected by February end.
Farmers have urgently appealed to district administrations and the Water Resources Department to clear water hyacinths choking drainage channels, as these blockages prevent floodwater from receding from fields. A WRD official confirmed that machinery is being deployed on a war footing to remove the invasive plants.
In a contrasting development, Trichy district experienced negligible inundation due to its higher elevation, with local officials noting that the rainfall has actually proven beneficial for farming in that area.
As the delta region's agricultural community holds its breath, the coming days will be critical in determining whether these vital crops can recover or if Tamil Nadu's rice production will suffer a significant setback.
