Tanks brimming, farmers ready to reap rich harvest

Chennai: The copious rain since the beginning of November has come as a boon to farmers in Chengalpet,

Kancheepuram

and Tiruvallur, with nearly one lakh acres ready to harvest crops as many as three times in the ensuing months.The rain has filled 913 irrigation tanks in the three districts, with 905 tanks at full capacity. These water bodies, coming under the Lower Palar Basin, have been filled to capacity after several years.The rain this season has not only helped increasing yields, but also assisted in recharging the groundwater table, say farmers. The primary crop in Chengalpet district, a senior

PWD

official said, was paddy, followed by sugarcane — both water-intensive crops. Now, with plenty of water, farmers who raise paddy can sow and harvest it three times, while those choosing to raise sugarcane can harvest it two times, he added.K Kumar, a farmer from

Madurantakam

in Chengalpet who always raised paddy on five acres of land, said the lake in the area was brimming after six years, with the excess water still flowing out long after the rain stopped. This season, with the availability of adequate water, he said he was ready to reap to bumper harvest. “In Madurantakam taluk alone paddy is being cultivated on 2,500 acres of land. This year, most of us, can harvest three times provided our (Madurantakam) lake is de-silted by the authorities,” Kumar said.Tiruvallur District Farmers’ Association president Y

Venugopal

said while paddy and sugarcane are the two main crops, about 15% of land owners possessed mango groves and another 5% have coconut groves. A small number of farmers also raise vegetables on their land. During the ensuing farming season, Venugopal said, the cropping pattern in the district will improve. Besides, more reforms needed to be introduced in the agriculture sector to ensure they will benefit land owners in future, he said.