Heavy rains in Kuttanad, Kerala have thoroughly laid its agricultural region to waste. According to a preliminary report prepared by the Department of Agriculture, a total of 60,519 farmers lost standing crops in 11,195 hectares due to heavy rains and floods.
This comes after the red alert issued by the Kerala state Minister for Fisheries Saji Cheriyan who had called for a high alert in Kuttanad after Kakki dam opened shutters on Monday, 18th October.
Speaking to reporters on 19 October Minister P. Prasad said “The estimated ₹200-crore loss is based on a preliminary assessment. Officials have been asked to complete the assessment and submit detailed reports soon. The loss in Kuttanad alone is estimated at ₹18 crores. The region has witnessed bund breaches at a number of places. The rain and waterlogging have destroyed harvest-ready paddy in large tracts”.
Prasad also said that the State Government would seek a special agriculture package from the Centre.
The highest crop loss was in Kottayam, which had a loss of 36.51 crores across 1,936 hectares, affecting 7,094 farmers. The agricultural loss in the Thrissur district is estimated to be worth 24.84 crores, with 5,936 farmers losing crops on 1,635 hectares, while in Kollam, 5,905 farmers lost crops on 345 hectares, resulting in a loss of 22 crores.
Rains damaged more than 1,322 hectares of agriculture in Palakkad, costing 2,982 farmers a total of Rs 19.9 crore, while in Ernakulam, 5,991 farmers lost crops worth Rs 18.85 crore over 1,824 hectares.
In a way due to climate change Kerala a state which boasted about climate change is now facing constant climate change problems on an annual basis. Now the state can only depend on itself to find a solution for this.
