Puducherry: Over 8,900 hectare area under paddy lost in rain

Puducherry: As much as 8,955 hectare area under paddy cultivation has been damaged by the unprecedented torrential rain that has hit the union territory.

Chief Minister N Rangasamy said that 11,418 farmers who raised paddy have been baffled by the massive loss in the devastation.

While, 4,420 hectare area under paddy was damaged in Puducherry, in Karaikal the figure stood at 4,248.34 hectare and in Yanam the extent of damage was 287.15 hectare.

The government said it would incur an expenditure of Rs 17.91 crore to disburse Rs 20,000 as compensation for an hectare of paddy damaged in the floods.

In the union territory, 1,544 hectare under sugarcane cultivation also bored the brunt of the heavy rains, while eight hectare area under betel leaf cultivation was damaged.

The government announced compensation of Rs 50,000 per hectare for areas under betel leaf cultivation and Rs 15,000 per hectare for areas under cultivation of sugarcane.

This would entail a total compensation of Rs 2.71 crore to 1,508 sugarcane farmers and 57 farmers cultivating betel leaf.

The government has also assessed loss of vegetables to an extent of 168.10 hectare in the three regions and a sum of Rs 25.21 lakh would be disbursed as compensation at the rate of Rs 15,000 per hectare of vegetables lost.

The Chief Minister said that 297.73 hectare area under plantain crop has been damaged and Rs 35,000 per hectare would be provided as compensation.

Tapioca and other types of tuber crop raised on 231.9 hectare has been lost and the government would spend Rs 34.78 lakh for disbursement of Rs 15,000 per hectare lost.

Compensations for loss of flowers, cotton and pulses have also been decided.

Rangasamy said the government has decided to defray Rs 22.08 crore for crop loss out of Rs 150 crore earmarked as relief package for damages made by the rain.

Puducherry has been battered by heavy rains since the beginning of November and officials have assessed that such a quantum of downpour had not been seen in the last 100 years.

The total rainfall that would normally be received during the three month period of October, November and December under the influence of North East monsoon has been received in one month (November) alone in Puducherry.