Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has declared six districts as drought-affected due to insufficient rainfall from October 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022. The Additional Chief Secretary of Revenue and Disaster Management, Kumar Jayant, has specifically identified 25 blocks within Pudukottai, Ramanathapauram, Sivaganga, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi, and Virudhunagar districts as moderately drought-affected.
In these blocks, where the crop damage exceeds 33 percent due to the shortage of rainfall, they are considered moderately drought-affected for agriculture. The scarcity of rainfall has led to concerns about declining groundwater levels, potentially leading to hydrological drought during the summer months.
Farmers in these drought-affected districts have petitioned the state Agriculture Relief Commissioner to take necessary action to address their plight. Additionally, the Tamil Nadu government has made an appeal to the Cauvery Water Management Authority, requesting the Karnataka government to release the state’s allocated volume of water from the Cauvery river. This appeal comes after Kuruvai farmers reported a shortage of water from the Mettur dam due to reduced water flow from the Cauvery into Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu’s Water Resources Minister, S. Duraimurugan, has submitted a letter from Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to the Union Jalshakti Minister, discussing the water scarcity issue in the state and the difficulties faced by Kuruvai paddy farmers as a consequence. The state government is actively seeking solutions to mitigate the effects of the drought and support the affected agricultural communities.
