Farmers in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts commence ‘pisanam’ activity on one lakh hectares

Buoyed by the comfortable storage level in 11 dams and adequate availability of chemical fertilizers in primary agriculture cooperative societies, farmers in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts have commenced ‘pisanam’ paddy season operations on over a lakh hectares with much vigour after a gap of five years.
As the Northeast Monsoon let down the farming community after 2008, only the farmers having their agricultural holdings either near the reservoirs or close to Tamirabharani river course could go in for cultivation of paddy, a water-intensive crop, during the second season.
With the active Northeast Monsoon this year, all 11 dams in Tirunelveli district are gradually inching towards their maximum capacity. The water level in Papanasam was 132.65 (maximum level 143), Servalar 147.57 (156), Manimuthar 95.45 (118), Gadana 83 (85), Ramanadhi 83 (84), Karuppanadhi 66.49 (72), Gundar 36.10 (36.10), Vadakku Pachchaiyar 32 (67), Nambiyar 23 (25), Kodumudiyar 52.50 (57) and Adavinainar 105 (142).
At the same time, most of the 2,449 irrigation tanks – 921 systemised and 1,528 non-systemised tanks – across the district too now have decent storage level. This has ensured sufficient water for even ‘advance kar’ paddy cultivation if the available water is used judiciously.
Tirunelveli Collector M. Karunakaran, who personally monitors the stocks and the supply of chemical fertilizers to the district since September-end, has made arrangements for ensuring adequate stocks in the primary agriculture cooperative banks across the district.
Satisfied with the present situation, the farming community in both the districts have started ‘pisanam’ paddy cultivation on over a lakh hectare, including 54,100 hectares in Tirunelveli district.
With comfortable water availability, the farmers in both the districts are expecting Pongal celebrations to be vigorous in 2015.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/bountiful-rainfall-brings-back-farming-on-track/article6628736.ece