Thanjavur:
Paddy farmers in the delta region of Tamil Nadu, the rice bowl of the state, are heading for a second consecutive year of crop failure and are bracing for huge losses.
Water from the Mettur reservoir, their lifeline was released quite late and now even though Karnataka has started to release Tamil Nadu's share of water from the Cauvery, it is not helping.
Though the Mettur reservoir has finally opened but it brings no cheer for the farmers in Tamil Nadu.
Poor rains in the Cauvery catchment area delayed the release of water by forty five days that proved disastrous for the farmers in Tamil Nadu.
But the repercussions are far more disastrous than meeting the eye. Any further delay in the present crop is set to ruin their next bumper paddy crop.
In order to save the coming crop from dying, farmers have abandoned the short term Kuruvai crop in a whopping seventy three thousand hectares. This has further affected every farmer family causing them much agony.
For Somasundaram, who is a farmer in the delta region of Tamil Nadu, It's the second consecutive failure.
The wedding plans of his daughters are no longer to fructify.
"We tried to get them married last year we couldn't. This year too we are not able to get it done," said Somasundaram
The loss these farmers in the region have incurred during the last two seasons is estimated to be close to rupees one thousand crore.
It is indeed a tough time for farmers in the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu. However, the state government is trying to downplay this.
Veerapandi Arumugham, Agriculture Minister, Tamil Nadu says, "Even if they can't do it this Kuruvai season we have enough water for the samba season."
But calling these claims just lame excuses, farmers in the delta region are left with no options. They are now demanding some sort of compensation from the state government so that they are able to sustain themselves and their families until the next full crop season.