Tag: Thanjavur

Thanjavur: Delay in Cauvery water release puts paddy cultivation at risk

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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There is a new threat to global food security, and it stems from fears that India’s rice cultivation may not meet expectations. These apprehensions come even as RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das highlighted the shortfall in paddy sowing, although buffer stocks remain above par. However, the question remains: what ails India’s paddy crop?

In Thanjavur, a town in East-Central Tamil Nadu, the Kuruvai cultivation is about to end. The Tamil word refers to a short-term harvest that takes place over a four-month period between May and August.

During this season, 3.2 lakh acres of paddy are sown along the banks of the River Cauvery in this region, better known as of one of India’s biggest rice bowls. This year, water from the Cauvery didn’t make it to these fields on time, leaving the cream of the crop to wither away.

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On average, the Kuruvai Crop sown in the Cauvery Delta, has a lifecycle of 120 days, 80 of which require water in abundance. The problem is that it also precisely during this period that the water needed for crops collects in catchment areas within Karnataka.

By the time water is released to Tamil Nadu’s agrarian districts, it is available for only about 30 days — at irregular, unpredictable intervals. The delay spells disaster for Tamil Nadu’s paddy fields, many of which do not have the support of artificial irrigation systems.

“In some places our paddy seedlings were charred because there was not enough water to keep it alive till the harvest,” says TP Sukumaran, a Thanjavur-based farmer, “Today, water is being released in the Cauvery because of surplus rainfall in Karnataka, but it’s of no use and ends up being let into the sea”.

The signs of wilting grain are ubiquitous. A herd of cattle grazes on dead paddy crop strewn along several dry tracts of land, as a farmer helplessly gestures at his two acres laid to waste. With the Cauvery aqueducts staying dry for two months, Rajavel won’t sell any paddy this year.

The fact that crop insurance does not cover the Kuruvai harvest because of the risks involved is salt on his wounds. “We suffered major losses on the Kuruvai harvest last year as well, but we haven’t received any insurance pay-out yet,” he says, “We have paid up all our premiums and are repaying our crop loans till date”.

To get around the problem, some farmers tried to delay sowing their paddy. But other factors like the onset of the North East Monsoons have ruined their harvest. Then there are rules — like the Paddy Procurement Policy which mandates that crops brought to procurement centres not have more than 17 percent moisture.

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That is near-impossible once monsoons set in, which means many of the sacks that make it to these centres are rejected. “An acre can supply us 40 sacks of rice, but today we just about manage 30 bags because of damage due to rains and rejected stocks,” says G Swaminathan, a farmer from the Cauvery Delta region.

“The North East Monsoon comes at the time of harvesting the Kuruvai,” says Swamimalai Vimalnathan, Secretary of the Cauvery Delta Farmers Protection Association. “We are facing problems because we are not able to bring the grain from the fields to the direct purchase centres,” he adds, “We are losing our grains”. 

Farm associations say the only way forward is if the government intervenes to get Cauvery water released on time. The Supreme Court ruling on the Cauvery crisis between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu mandates that 177 thousand million cubic feet (TMCFT) of Cauvery water be released into Tamil Nadu every season, but Karnataka claims this can’t happen unless its own reservoirs fill up first.

Harvesters now want lift and tunnel irrigation channels, to save the crop. “The water disputes act is very clear — the tail-end area beneficiaries should be given priority,” says Vimalnathan, “But that is not happening”.

The Tamil Nadu Government has not committed to state-level intervention, but has promised compensation for farmers with crop losses.

“As things stand today, the Kuruvai sowing and transplanting process has come to a close,” says MRK Panneersevlam, Tamil Nadu’s minister for agriculture and farmer welfare, “We understand there are issues with insurance pay-outs for certain farmers, and are looking at compensating them through the disaster relief route”.

The assurance still does not address the delay in release of Cauvery water. This season, the area under paddy cultivation in the Cauvery Delta has increased from 3.2 lakh acres to 5.2 lakh acres. This only means that the stakes are higher than ever before, especially since the uncertainties have not diminished in any fashion.

Also read: Paddy acreage down 13% so far this kharif season; oilseeds, coarse cereals area up

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Tamil Nadu: 11 electrocuted as temple procession car comes in contact with power line in Thanjavur

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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In a tragic incident near Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, 11 people were electrocuted during a chariot procession after a temple car came in contact with a high tension transmission line, police said on Wednesday. The deceased include three children.

The tragic incident occurred near Kalimedu when the Appar temple chariot procession was underway. The temple car was negotiating a turn and faced some obstacle before being reversed, when it came in to contact with a high power voltage overhead line, police and eyewitnesses have stated. The people standing on the chariot were thrown in the impact. The injured were admitted to the Thanjavur Medical College.

Tamil Nadu | At least 10 people died after a temple car (of chariot festival) came in contact with a live wire in the Thanjavur district. More details are awaited. pic.twitter.com/clhjADE6J3

— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2022

Preliminary investigation show that the incident took place at the early hours of the day at around 3 am.  The procession, decorated with flowers and light, was returning to the temple. This procession is a nine decade old practice. It is organised by the villagers in memory of Thirunavukarasar, a Shaivite saint.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin rushed to the scene. He announced a monetary compensation of five lakh to families of the deceased. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident and shared condolences for the families.

Deeply pained by the mishap in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this hour of grief. I hope those injured recover soon: PM @narendramodi

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 27, 2022

PM also announced an ex gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each from PMNRF to the bereaved families.  Those injured in the mishap would be given a monetary help of Rs. 50,000.

(With inputs from PTI)

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As oil spills into Kaveri delta, anger spills into the election discussions

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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In Thiruvaiyaru, the famous village where Carnatic music legend Thyagaraja lived and died, river Kaveri looked almost dry and desolate. The subject of a never-ending water-sharing dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the once perennial river has now turned into a sea of sand with rocks and bushes dotting the dry beds. This scene is not only limited to Thiruvaiyaru but also to the numerous Kaveri delta villages forming Tamil Nadu’s traditional rice bowl in the Thanjavur region.

“In his famous composition Sari Vedalina, the saint composer termed the Kaveri as a river that moved rapidly at one place, roared fearfully at another and remained still with full grace at a third. All that has been a thing of the past and the river now remains dry except for a few weeks during monsoon,” said Tamil playback singer Senthil Dass, standing near the samadhi of the music legend.

Hailing from Neduvasal in the Kaveri delta region, Dass is now the public face of a people’s movement to protect the river and the huge expanse of agriculture fields it supports not just from illegal sand mining and deforestation but also from a controversial move of the union government to allow the public sector Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) and corporate major Vedanta Resources to facilitate a multi-crore hydrocarbon project extracting fossil fuels along with methane, propane and butane.

Though Vedanta is yet to make its presence felt in the delta region, ONGC is already facing the ire of the farmers not only for the proposed project but also for the existing oil wells operated by it in the region in a way neglecting the environmental, agricultural and livelihood concerns of the people.

A key electoral issue

As another Lok Sabha election is round the corner, all political parties in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are competing with each other in convincing farmers of the delta region that they would not allow the implementation of the project which may turn the whole river ecosystem and farm lands as a desert. But the project that already created extreme fear in the minds of farmers who live close to the river. Hoardings exhorting people to disapprove those who are supporting the project can be seen in many places.

“The farmers are frightened. Just interact with them and you can feel their simmering anger in the whole delta region including Marakkanam, Cuddalore, Parankipettai, Velankanni, Kullanchavadi and Tharangampadi. Whatever be the promises of the political parties, the union government is keen on large-scale hydrocarbon extraction from the Kaveri Delta and that too mainly from prime agricultural lands. As far as the farmers are concerned, it’s a matter of survival in difficult times,” said Dass.

When contacted, a senior official of ONGC at its regional office in Karaikal confirmed that the country’s ‘largest vertically integrated oil company’ is leaving no stone unturned in increasing oil production. “We are acting as per the policy of union government which wanted at least ten percent import reduction in the case of oils. Hydrocarbon capture in the Kaveri river basin is one of our top priorities to increase production,” said the official who preferred anonymity.

Conceived in 2009, the Kaveri delta coal-bed methane extraction project is all likely to affect normal life in 667 square km area coming under Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Pudukottai, Thiruvarur, Tiruchirappalli, Ariyalur, Perumbalur and Karaikal districts. Among them, Karaikal is part of Puducherry.

“As you know, the delta region is where the river divides into several smaller rivers depositing huge sediments in agricultural lands before flowing into the sea. Deltas are nature’s gift to agriculture because of the deposition of fertile sediments. What is the logic of initiating hydrocarbon mining in such a food producing area? Why the authorities are unconcerned of the environmental hazards to be created by coal-bed methane?” asked P.S. Masilamani, a farmers’ leader from Thiruvarur.

According to him, no in-depth study has been conducted so far on the hydro-geological, socio-economic and environmental disturbances the project would create. “If implemented, the project would not only destroy agriculture but also deny potable water to a large segment of the society,” he said. Other than water depletion, the farmers fear possible chemical and radioactive contamination.

Neduvasal protests

An eerie silence prevailed in Neduvasal when Mongabay-India visited it. This delta village, located about 60 km from Thanjavur, had witnessed large-scale resistance against the project and its oil wells in the last three years.

“We are waiting and watching. There is no question of allowing any oil well in any part of our region. We are categorical that hydrocarbon mining means disaster,” said M. Madhavan, who cultivates vegetables in 15 acres of land.

According to Alamelu Ramanathan, a woman farmer of the locality, people are on extreme vigil against any attempt of mining in the region. An exploratory well dug in 2008 can be seen in Neduvasal and farmers say ONGC used to burn gas night and day after digging the well. “On occasions, the gas burned orange with black smoke. We have been frightened since then,” said farmer Sellakkannu Vellachamy.

Within 100 km from Neduvasal, ONGC operates about 200 oil wells and a number of other installations. In three successive years since 2010, crude oil leaked from underground pipelines running through paddy fields in Nagapattinam, damaged crops and contaminated groundwater.

In Kathiramangalam village near Thiruvidaimarudur, there was a major oil leak from an ONGC pipeline last year. Police had to resort to lathi charge to disperse protestors. The local oil well remains dysfunctional since then due to public protest.

“We are paying the price for the last year’s protest even now. Police are not allowing outsiders to stay in our village saying they would help ignite more protests against oil exploration,” said K. Vijay, a local resident. Water sources in the village contain yellowish water with layers of oil over it.

In Okkur near Nagapattinam, people are protesting against the noise and air pollution caused by the exploratory well now under construction. “Fields damaged by oil leaks are never restored by ONGC. Farmers get meagre compensation after passing through a huge process. Lands scarred by oil take years to recover,” said R. Ram Kumar, leader of the Anti-Carbon Mining Action Committee.

According to ONGC officials, of the 36 lakh acres of agricultural land in the Kaveri basin, the company is exploring only 1,600 acres and that there is no threat to agricultural activities due to extraction. However, the company did not present any data on water quality to counter claims of contamination.

Stench and contamination

“An unbearable stench came out of the site when the exploratory and extraction works were undertaken in our village. We fear the wells would create severe hurdles to our lives and livelihoods,’’ said Baby Sannasi, a woman farmer of Neduvasal East.

ONGC claims that in areas where the exploratory wells failed, the land was returned to ‘original owners in original condition’. But farmers say the returned lands remain uncultivable because of the contamination of soil and water.

According to local communities, crude oil that spilled on farmlands contains benzene, xylene and toluene, and other toxins. Benzene is a carcinogen and can contaminate groundwater reserves.

“Carbon extraction is the latest threat that the delta is facing. Sea water intrusion owing to rising sea levels, rampant sand mining and over exploitation of groundwater are also killing the region,’’ said K. Dakshninamurthy, president of Neduvasal Grama panchayat.

“Access to clean water is our right. Whenever I visit villages where water floating with oil, it feels like we are feeding our children with poison,” he emphasized.

The story was originally published in Mongabay-India.

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Why Tamil Nadu needs more palmyrah, the state tree

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The narrow two-lane road from Nagapattinam to Thiruvarur is flanked by paddy fields, with palmyrah trees demarcating the road and the fields. Places such as Sikkal and Manjakkollai, though more than five kilometres from the Bay of Bengal, bore the brunt of Cyclone Gaja that hit the east coast on November 16, 2018.

Huge branches had snapped, trees lay uprooted and electric poles leaned precariously or were flat on the ground in a mangled mess of cables. However, most of the palmyrah trees stood firm and rooted. While coconut trees had snapped into two or even four parts, the palmyrah trees were intact.

Palmyrah (Borassus flabellifer) is the state tree of Tamil Nadu. From the leaves being used for manuscripts, to the split trunk being used as roof joists, palmyrah trees had been an integral part of Tamil life. With changes in the cultural and social milieu, they lost their importance. In reality and industrial agriculture, they were considered worthless and axed, resulting in significant loss in tree count.

Cyclone Gaja having demonstrated its sturdy nature, and its ability to lessen the impact of natural forces, the importance of palmyrah tree is being appreciated.

Ecological Value Of Palmyrah Trees

Palmyrah trees are commonly seen between agricultural fields in Tamil Nadu. “People used them to mark boundaries, given their long life of 120 years,” said Ranjit Daniels of Chennai-based Care Earth Trust that works on biodiversity conservation.

Planted around water bodies, they are believed to recharge water. According to Sobhana Raj, botanist and retired principal of Scott Christian College, Nagercoil, the root has a central fibre surrounded by a spongy layer that stores water. “They played a significant role in the circulation of water in aquifers,” he said, citing an academic paper. “Cut root exudes water. Though it has not been proven, it’s possible that the roots help in recharging water,” he added.

Panchavarnam R, former chairman of Panruti panchayat and author of a book on palmyrah, said that they were traditionally planted where forests ended and human habitations started. Planted without much gap, the rows of trees prevented carnivores and elephants from venturing into villages, thus preventing human-animal conflict.

According to Godson Samuel, a priest and field director of Palmyrah Nation, which works on palmyrah conservation, the tree shelters birds and reptiles such as snakes and monitor lizards. “Peacocks rest on them and sunbirds drink nectar from the inflorescence,” he said.

Bird watchers have observed parakeets and Indian rollers nesting in palmyrah trunks. Other birds like palm swifts, silver bills, white-breasted kingfishers and shikras have been observed on them. On a single palmyrah tree, many baya weaver nests can be observed in villages.

Toddy Ban Led To Decline Of The Palmyrah

Earlier, all parts of living and dead trees found use in everyday activities of rural communities. Trunks were used as rafters and pillars for house construction. As leaves were periodically pruned, the long and sturdy leaf bases were used as fences and the leaves as roofing material. Once concrete structures became popular, palmyrah lost its importance.

In 1987, the Tamil Nadu government banned toddy, a fermented drink tapped from the inflorescence, adding to the decline of palmyrah products. According to Samuel, more than a million (10 lakh) people lost their jobs because of the ban.

With the younger generation preferring other jobs, the number of climbers declined. This led to farmers selling palms in their land and village committees selling those in common land, as firewood to brick kilns.

According to Veilmuthu P, chief editor of a popular Tamil magazine, palmyrah acts as a natural barrier against climatic forces. “The damage to Cuddalore and other coastal areas caused by cyclones Thane and Nilam could have been vastly minimised if thousands of palmyrah trees had not been cut,” he said.

Climate Resilience

Taller than coconut trees, palms are sturdy and strong and do not fall easily. “The fibrous trunk has a sort of elasticity that enables it to bend and not break,” said Daniels of Care Earth Trust. This helps them withstand heavy winds and cyclones.

“The crown of fan-shaped leaves is light in weight, lending it resilience against the wind,” said Panchavarnam. The leathery leaves are also sturdy against heavy rains and winds.

Aaron Doss, a Chennai-based travel operator, observed how the palm leaf roof of a hut at Vizhunda Mavadi village in Nagapattinam district was not damaged at all during Cyclone Gaja. “It was just about 500 metres from the sea. Even Mangalore tiles had been blown away from roofs, but not this roof of palm leaves,” he said.

The fibrous roots that go deep and wide bind the soil well, preventing soil erosion. “The root structure is such that it stabilises the soil, and conserves soil moisture,” said Prabhu T, of Agricultural College and Research Institute, Killikulam.

Palms grow in all types of soil and climatic zones. They are seen in large numbers in coastal Nagapattinam, fertile Thanjavur and in arid Ramanathapuram.

Conservation And Revival Of The State Tree

Besides their climate resilience, proponents of palmyrah cite other reasons for conserving them. “We inherited rich Tamil literary treasures including epics Silappadhikaram and Manimekalai in palm leaf manuscripts. It’s part of our legacy. Now that we know the health benefits of palm products, we need to conserve them,” said Manivannan Gandhi, of PanaiOlai, that has planted 3,500 palm seeds around Madurai.

Proponents find toddy in moderate amounts healthful. “Toddy is not an intoxicant but a part of food and medicine,” said Nallasami C, of Tamil Nadu Toddy Movement.

“It doesn’t need space. With no canopy, it doesn’t interfere with buildings. There is no superstition attached to the tree,” said Daniels. “In places like Chennai, prone to cyclone and rain, the government should promote planting them in public places.”

While government departments do not have a census, everyone agreed that palmyrah count has drastically reduced. To revive the same, youth, communities and some political parties have started planting seeds in public places.

Conservation without economic benefits holds no appeal. Rasu Mayilvahanan and his friends, all working professionals, promote sustainability and livelihood, by engaging women to make palm leaf products. Many women are turning entrepreneurs, making snacks using palm jaggery.

Suresh V, a diploma holder in mechanical engineering, quit his job in a reputed company, to sell nungu, the jelly-like tender seeds. “I earned Rs 13,000 in my job, now I earn double that,” he said. As trees in each region have different fruiting season, he is busy for eight months.

Theri Kumar from Rayagiri in Tirunelveli district said that villagers sell a tree for Rs 150, without appreciating its economic value. With an average yield of 150 litres of padhaneer or neera sap extracted from the inflorescence, 25 kg of jaggery, 15 kg of palm sugar and non-edible products such as fibre, leaves and coir, Veilmuthu estimates an average income of Rs 3,500 from one tree. With about 450 trees per acre, a palmyrah farmer could earn Rs 1.5 million (Rs. 15 lakh) per annum.
However, palmyrah was never considered a plantation crop.

“Tamil Nadu Palmgur and Fibre Marketing Federation (TNPFMF) started in 1956 to market palm products, continues to do so. The government supports artisans, supplying free tools, and buying products from eight district federations,” said Naveen Kumar.

“After ten years, there won’t be any climber to tap neera, as it’s difficult work and the present climbers are above 40 years,” said Annamalai, staff at TNPFMF. “100 litres of neera yields 10 kg of jaggery and needs 100 kg of firewood. The returns have to be attractive enough for an artisan,” he added.

Difficulty in climbing palmyrah trees that grow to 30 metres is a deterrent. “Attempts to make shorter varieties have been unsuccessful,” said Narasimha Murthy G, of Horticultural Research Station at Pandirimamidi, Andhra Pradesh, one of the centres of All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on palms.

“In Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli, we found naturally occurring short varieties, flowering at four feet height. We have planted their seeds at Killikulam, but they flower after 15 years,” said Prabhu.

Theri Kumar, whose father sells jaggery to exporters, said that it is financially viable, since men tap and women make jaggery by boiling neera. He cited some traders selling adulterated jaggery weighing against the artisans.

Vengaiah PC, a scientist at AICRP Pandirimamidi project, concurred that jaggery has good income potential. “We’ve developed post-harvest technologies and standardised procedures to make palm products. We’ve been selling 30 kg of jaggery every day since January 2019, proof that it’s commercially viable,” he said.

A senior official at TNPFMF said that the jaggery-dry ginger coffee they have been selling in Chennai for a year has earned them Rs 3 million (Rs 30 lakh).

Having met with artisans of palm cooperatives, convincing them to make non-edible products too, he is hopeful of their sustainable livelihood. Given the awareness about their climate resilience and health benefits of palmyrah products, things are looking up for palmyrah trees.

The story was originally published in Mongabay-India.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow