Tiruchi, Oct 27 — Samba paddy farmers in Tamil Nadu's Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts are facing the prospect of heavy losses as persistent monsoon rain and blocked drainage canals have left thousands of acres submerged, prompting demands for immediate measures to save the crop.
With water reportedly standing in several fields for more than four days, cultivators warned that prolonged submergence could damage the young plants beyond recovery. They appealed to district authorities to deploy heavy machinery to clear clogged outlets and drain the affected farmland.
The flooding comes after a difficult start to the cultivation season, when insufficient river water forced farmers to postpone sowing by several weeks.
Growers with borewell facilities subsequently planted samba paddy, committing substantial sums despite uncertainty over irrigation supplies. Their hopes suffered a fresh setback when sustained northeast monsoon downpours inundated low-lying fields just as the seedlings began growing.
Farmers attributed the continuing waterlogging to neglected outlet canals, saying incoming rainwater had accumulated because silt and obstructions prevented its discharge.
In Tiruvarur district, affected areas included Kudavasal, Asoor, Melapalayur and Ogai. Paddy fields at Vilangudi, Villiyanallur, Semmangudi and Tenkaichi in Thanjavur district also remained waterlogged, leaving cultivators anxious about the survival of their crops.
According to farmers, water had been stagnating in several fields for more than four days. They warned that another 48 hours of submergence could cause root rot and extensive crop losses unless drainage work was undertaken immediately.
With expenditure of at least Rs 20,000 per acre already incurred, cultivators said the continued inundation threatened a substantial investment. Their immediate priority, they stressed, was to save the standing crop by restoring the flow of water through the outlet network. Beyond emergency intervention, farmers demanded comprehensive desilting and maintenance of drainage canals across the region.
They said clearing individual blockages would offer only temporary relief unless the wider network could carry excess water away during sustained monsoon spells.
The situation has highlighted the contrasting pressures facing Delta agriculture: insufficient irrigation water delayed the start of cultivation, while an inability to evacuate excess rainwater now threatens the crop that farmers managed to establish.
Growers appealed for swift administrative action, saying the next two days would be crucial. They sought both immediate removal of stagnant water and sustained attention to canal upkeep to prevent repeated flooding of agricultural land during the remainder of the northeast monsoon season.