TN: Water scarcity threatens 4000 acres of sugarcane in Madurai

Madurai:Nearly 4,000 acres of sugarcane cultivation in Melur, Vadipatti and adjoining areas of Madurai district in Tamil Nadu are under severe threat due to inadequate irrigation, with farmers warning of widespread crop damage unless the region receives sufficient rainfall in the coming weeks.

Of the total cultivated area, about 1,500 acres are under green sugarcane, while purple sugarcane is grown on the remaining land. Irrigation wells in several villages have dried up, forcing cultivators to depend largely on borewells to keep their standing crops alive.

Farmers said groundwater levels had declined sharply, making it increasingly difficult to irrigate sugarcane fields. Those who have raised purple sugarcane said they were struggling to sustain the crop after their irrigation wells ran dry.

Many cultivators have only one or two borewells as an alternative source of irrigation. They fear that if the area does not receive adequate rainfall within the next three weeks, the standing crops could begin to wither.

The growth of newly planted sugarcane has already slowed considerably due to the shortage of water. Several farmers in the region have reportedly suffered crop losses because of inadequate water availability.

Sugarcane requires regular irrigation, particularly during its initial stages of growth, and a prolonged dry spell could substantially reduce both yield and quality of the produce.

Apart from the irrigation crisis, farmers are also concerned over the prolonged closure of the Alanganallur National Cooperative Sugar Mill. They said the mill had earlier provided a reliable procurement and marketing channel for sugarcane growers in the district.

Farmers’ organisations have adopted a resolution demanding the immediate reopening of the cooperative mill. They alleged that no concrete action had been taken despite repeated protests during the past eight years.

They urged the government to allocate the necessary funds to revive the mill and extend support to struggling sugarcane cultivators.

The prolonged closure, combined with recurring irrigation problems, had resulted in a substantial decline in the area under sugarcane cultivation around Alanganallur and neighbouring regions, they said.

As part of their agitation, farmers have decided to organise a walkathon from Alanganallur to the Madurai District Collectorate in the first week of September. The demonstration will press the government to take urgent measures to address the irrigation crisis and reopen the cooperative sugar mill.

–IANS