Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

Drought loss may be over Rs. 3,000 cr.: Minister

By Our Special Correspondent

SALEM Jan. 11. The State has suffered an estimated loss of Rs. 3,000 crores as of now due to drought and it might be much higher once the damage to the samba crop is known. By February, the real magnitude of the problem will come to light, the Agriculture Minister, R. Jeevanandham, said here today.

Talking to reporters at the Tapioca and Castor Research Station at Yethapur, near here, he said the State had been receiving deficit rainfall for the past five years — 1997-1193.6 mm, 1998-1036.4 mm, 2000-847.5 mm, 2002-760.4 mm, 2002-736.9 mm. Added to this was the refusal of the Karnataka Government to release water into the Cauvery, as a result of which the eight delta districts, including Thanjavur, Thiruvaru and Nagapattinam, were badly hit.

The Minister said that because of the prevailing dry condition, as many as 11,01,200 coconut trees were fully damaged, and 27,95,952 trees were partially damaged.

To offset the loss to the farmers, the Government had announced a compensation of Rs. 150 for each tree of the first category, and Rs. 50 each for the second category. Though the financial outgo on this score would be quite high, the Government had to fulfil its obligation to the farmers, he said.

Mega water project

Asked whether the Government had put in place any contingency plan to overcome the crisis, the Minister hinted that a `mega integrated water management project' was in the offing. Under the project, steps would be taken to protect the water sources all over the State, and rainwater harvesting would be given a thrust.

It was porposed to set up information centres at 15 places, including Vellore, Erode, Tirupur, Theni, Tuticorin, Tindivanam and Villupuram, at a cost of Rs. 30 lakhs. The centres would disseminate information on weather, crop prospects, price situation and so on.

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