EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

THE HINDU CHENNAI SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2018 GROUND ZERO 11 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

hen T. Govindarajan, 51, began growing coconut saplings Walongside the groundnut crop on his 1.5 acre plot in Orathanadu, Ta­ mil Nadu, nearly two decades ago, he thought he was making a safe bet on his future. A decade later, as the tall trees completely replaced the groundnut crop, his portion of land, though not large, began to provide a stable income that allowed him to dream of better things for his family. “I have two sons. One in class 11, and the other in class 6. Both go to a private school. Every other investment I have been able to make is thanks to this coconut plantation.” Standing under a cloudy sky that now casts a forbidding pall over the Oratha­ nadu region near Thanjavur district, Govindarajan can only look on helpless­ ly as his coconut farm lies flattened. It was just another casualty of Cyclone Ga­ ja which ripped through the delta dis­ tricts of the State about 10 days ago. As farm hands work to clear away fal­ len leaves and tree trunks, he trades sto­ ries with other farmers whose plots ad­ join his. They talk about B. Sunderraj, a farmer, who is said to have committed suicide over the loss of his coconut trees. And of the plight of N. Karunanid­ hi, also from their village, who was plan­ ning to sell an acre of his coconut farm in order to conduct a grand wedding for his daughter but can no longer do so. They speak with an anxiety about the future, and about the possibility of planting hybrid varieties of coconut sa­ plings that would provide yields quick­ er. As they talk, they cannot help but acknowledge a grim reality — that they too are not safe from the agrarian dis­ tress that has affected paddy farmers in the region.

Blown away In the deluge of reports about the des­ truction wreaked by Cyclone Gaja, there is one statistic that stands out, and is also viscerally evident — that it felled 60­80% of all coconut trees in the re­ gion. Initial estimates by the State go­ vernment show that around 75 lakh co­ Knocked out: “In the deluge of reports about the destruction wreaked by Cyclone Gaja, there is one statistic that stands out — that it felled 60-80% of all coconut trees in the region.” Picture shows a ravaged coconut conut trees were damaged either fully farm at a village in Tiruvarur district. * SHAJU JOHN or partially in the gale winds. Initially, Gaja was forecast to affect the area around Chennai and Puducher­ ry, but made landfall further south on Tamil Nadu’s east coast, covering the Destruction in the delta districts along the State’s famous East Coast Road. The districts affected most severely include Pudukottai, Thanjavur, As Tamil Nadu struggles to restore normalcy in the districts affected by Cyclone Gaja, Jayant Sriram and B. Kolappan report on the Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam. The last three make up what is known as Tamil devastation visited upon the region’s coconut cultivators, and how farming in this predominantly agrarian belt could be made more Nadu’s delta region, encompassing the disaster­proof lower reaches of the Cauvery river. Of these, Nagapattinam, the worst affect­ are Ockhi, which struck in Kanyakumari <> For the regions near the coast, lief work. These funds are imperative in er, the distribution of relief materials ed, falls on the coast line, with Gaja in June last year, Vardah, which hit there is no choice but to opt for order to re­establish a basic framework has been sporadic at best, with some in making a direct line inward over Tiruva­ Chennai in late 2016, and now Gaja. coconut again despite the risk of normality — getting people back to the camps claiming that they get daily rur and Thanjavur. Famous for rice This is quite apart from the fact that the of another cyclone.” their homes and restoring the supply of rations of rice, while others in the inte­ farming, these areas have also begun Tamil Nadu coast has always been one drinking water and electricity. rior areas saying that they have to wait N. Rangarajan, contributing up to a quarter of India’s of the most cyclone­prone regions in Pudukkottai MLA and farmer Across the cyclone­affected areas, for hours just to receive even a couple of total coconut production, with the high­ the country. Back in 1968, in the Tamil perhaps the only sight as common as biscuit packets. est yield per hectare. blockbuster, “Thillana Mohanambal”, the overall damage to property in the fallen coconut trees are damaged elec­ In field after field of coconut trees the heroine’s mother mentions the delta districts is significantly worse, a trical transformers. According to figures Question of compensation across these districts, which have been place name Nagapattinam. In response, big element of this is the destruction of available with the State government, the There is also the larger question of dam­ either uprooted or stand tilting danger­ Nagesh, the comedian, quips: “Is a cy­ virtually every thatched roof structure cyclone has damaged 201 power substa­ age to farm property and how the re­ ously, the same story repeats itself: of clone coming?” in these villages. tions, upended 886 transformers, and gion will move forward. While paddy marginal and small farmers affected by Two weeks after Gaja hit, people are snapped 53,21,506 electricity crop remains a huge risk, given the er­ changes in climate and weather pat­ Waiting for relief still camped out in temporary shelters, connections. ratic monsoons, they can nonetheless terns. It has been difficult for them. Despite the region being cyclone­prone, all along the main roads in Nagapatti­ The Central government has sanc­ be sown again the next year if affected When the frequent failure of the mon­ the State government has hardly taken nam, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur, waiting tioned ₹200 crore to overhaul power by unseasonal weather. Coconut sa­ soons forced them to diversify their note of the fact that most houses in the for relief materials to be handed out. networks in the region. Nearly 25,000 plings, on the other hand, will need crop patterns, recurring cyclones could villages of Nagapattinam, Thanjavur These camps, each comprising 20 to 30 workers of the Tamil Nadu Generation about seven or eight years to take full threaten to blow all their work away. and Tiruvarur are thatched roof struc­ people, display signs that announce and Distribution Corporation (TANGED­ root and start providing a harvest. Most About 30 years ago, farmers from va­ tures. Landless labourers make up their having been affected by Cyclone CO) are on the job. Trucks with teams of farmers in the region are still unclear rious towns in the region, including Pat­ months,” Narayanaswamy says. about 31% of the population of these dis­ Gaja and in need of assistance. electrical workers are a common sight about the level of compensation that the tukkottai, Thambikottai, Peravurani Despite the growing supply, there tricts, and are the worst hit in times of Many of them use the relief rations to now across districts in the delta region. State government will offer for their and Orathanur began the switch to co­ was never a shortage in demand. Quite both drought and cyclones. This is one cook food for people in the village. They They are often accompanied by large crop. conut plantations. The move was the opposite, in fact. Earlier this year, it of the few regions in Tamil Nadu which are able to manage just one meal a day. truckloads of concrete pillars (to recon­ The coconut producers union in prompted by uncertainty over the re­ was reported that while the demand for has remained predominantly agrarian. The damage caused to the power supply nect the wires) that have come in from Thanjavur says that it has asked the Co­ lease of water from the Mettur d am fol­ copra (dried coconut kernels from It has not seen the expansion of indus­ means that there is no drinking water in neighbouring Karnataka, Andhra Pra­ conut Development Board to raise the lowing the dispute between Tamil Nadu which oil is obtained) was growing at try or the trend of land being sold for many of these villages. desh and Telangana. issue with the Union Agriculture Minis­ and Karnataka over the sharing of Cauv­ nearly 8% per annum, the supply of co­ real estate. Those old enough to remem­ In several villages, for example, Raya­ Cyclone Gaja has so far claimed over try and seek compensation to the fullest ery river water. In subsequent years, as pra had been growing at just 2%. All the ber the cyclone of 1952 recall similar nallur Katakam near Tiruvarur, most re­ 40 lives, but the toll could have been possible. The union says that the dam­ rainfall patterns became more erratic, farmers in Thanjavur district cite the destruction, but not much seems to sidents have had to sleep in some of the much worse had it not been for the ear­ age to coconut trees as estimated by the farmers with smaller holdings also company, Marico, which makes oil un­ have changed since then. concrete structures that have escaped ly evacuation of 2.5 lakh people. Given State government is about ₹3,000 crore. wanted an alternative. Says V. Naraya­ der the ‘Parachute’ brand, as a regular In the immediate aftermath of Gaja, damage. In most of the houses, the the extent of damage to property, it is While farmers want between relief of naswamy, a schoolteacher who also buyer. A news report from earlier this officials admit that the extent of damage roofs have either collapsed or the floors clear that the S tate needs to come up ₹20,000 to ₹ 25,000 per coconut tree, started growing coconuts on his two year says that the company even has been beyond their comprehension. are too damp with heavy rains continu­ with a more comprehensive disaster petitions are being filed in district acre plot some years ago, “For many of stepped in to help farmers, bringing in This despite their having taken active ing in the area. In almost every camp, preparedness plan. This should start, courts that seek an amount of up to us, apart from the water issue, paddy agricultural experts to advise those measures to establish emergency con­ villagers say that relief workers travel first of all, with the rebuilding of houses ₹50,000 per tree. In neighbouring Na­ farming was just too labour intensive. whose trees were not yielding enough trol centres in six coastal districts. Ga­ along the main roads, refusing to move to make them more weather­resistant. A gapattinam, mango farmers, who claim Regardless of how much we made on fruit either due to pest infestation or un­ gandeep Singh Bedi, an official in inside the villages and judge the extent step in this direction was taken when that each tree used to yield a tonne of the paddy, we could still end up with a scientific crop management. charge of rehabilitation in Thanjavur of damage to the smaller houses. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. mangos in a year, are likely to demand loss after paying for the labour. ” Farm­ In contrast, the fortunes of paddy district, says the damage to property In its report to the Centre detailing Palaniswami announced on November more. ers in the region also took a collective farmers have continued to fluctuate. and infrastructure is 10 times more than the damage caused by Gaja, the Tamil 29 his government’s decision to build Going forward, crop insurance is like­ decision: first to grow trees such as jack­ Last year , for instance, was one of rela­ what was caused by Cyclone Thane, Nadu government has estimated the one lakh concrete houses for those who ly to be a key factor in encouraging fruit and coconut along with the regular tive drought, with the Southwest and which had hit the eastern coast along number of people rendered homeless had lost their huts in the cyclone. This is farmers to rebuild all that they have crop, and then to move into coconut Northeast monsoons failing. There were Puducherry and Cuddalore in 2011. At to be 3.7 lakh, and houses destroyed at a start, but much more needs to be lost. Unfortunately, there is very little farming wholesale. crop failures in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur that time, Thane had become a refe­ 3.4 lakh. The State has submitted a done. awareness about this except among and Nagapattinam districts, and sporad­ rence point for disaster management of­ memorandum to the Centre seeking He also announced that relief mate­ paddy farmers who are more accus­ The State’s granary ic reports of farmers ending their lives. ficials, who had to contend with the loss about ₹15,000 crore for restoration, rials such as rice, oil and clothing would tomed to the process of filing for insu­ This region, famous for its fertile soil, It is not hard to see why coconut farm­ of tree cover and destruction of numer­ rehabilitation and mitigation, and reach those would have been affected rance. has always been known as the rice bowl ing is more attractive and appealing as a ous electrical posts and transmitters. If another ₹1,431 crore for immediate re­ within the next five days. So far, howev­ According to the Pudukkottai MLA, of Tamil Nadu. But the character of its sustainable and profitable enterprise — N. Rangarajan, who is also a farmer, the landscape is changing as fields of green a virtual failsafe. On the issue of cy­ issue is being studied. “There are loan paddy now share space with an expand­ clones, several farmers in the region say schemes for coconut crops from the Co­ ing number of groves and orchards. To the idea of insuring their crop did no t conut Development Board and under go with the burgeoning coconut planta­ occur to them as they had never even the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana tions, farmers in towns like Vedara­ imagined that a cyclone could cause so (crop insurance scheme), which has a nyam, Katipulam, Chembodai and much damage. coconut palm insurance scheme.” Both Pushpavanam in Nagapattinam district Those who still have vivid memories offer very low amounts as compensa­ were also expanding farms with fruit of the past recall the last major cyclone tion, he says and farmers in the region trees such as mango, cashew nut and ta­ in the region, and one of a comparable are looking at alternatives. marind. However, it was coconut that magnitude — in 1952. Yet, the frequency Rangarajan adds that he plans to en­ made the most economic sense. Unlike is worrying. A report in the Down to courage farmers to go in for cashewnut paddy crop, which provides a yield ev­ Earth magazine says that Gaja has been crop instead of coconut as they have ery six months and is water intensive, the 10th major cyclone to affect Tamil low­lying branches and less likely to be coconut trees, which are a perennial Nadu in the past 16 years. The number affected by strong winds. “For the re­ crop, provided fruit every two months. of cyclones that hit the S tate between gions near the coast, however, there is “A raw coconut would fetch anything 1891 and 2002 was 54, which works out no choice but to opt for coconut again between ₹12 and ₹18,” explains Naraya­ to 0.49 cyclones per year. Between despite the risk of another cyclone,” he naswamy, with the husk being sold at ₹1 2003 and 2018, this went up to 0.63 per says, “as the soil type is best suited for a piece and the shell also being sold sep­ year, a rise of 30%. coconut farming.” arately. Though the soil in this region is The S tate’s action plan for climate Institutes such as the Tamil Nadu a bit saline and despite being away from change identifies cyclones as a major Agricultural University, which had in­ the coastal region, the coconuts thrived. concern. In the past two years alone, it itially advised and helped many of the “Even for a farmer with about 1.5­2 has seen the effects of three devastating farmers to switch to coconut farming, acres of land, the trees would provide cyclones that have caused major losses can also play a role in offering help and upward of 3,000 coconuts every two to life, property and tree cover. These Teams of electrical workers are a common sight now across districts in the delta region. * SHAJU JOHN advice, he adds.

CM M CH-CHE YK