Blaming deficient monsoon rainfall for widespread agricultural distress and parched farmlands, the Tamil Nadu Farmers Association has urged the district administration and the Department of Agriculture to expedite the ongoing digital crop survey and ensure transparent distribution of drought relief.A statement issued by S.P. Elangovan, Madurai district secretary of the association, highlighted that the failure of both the Southwest monsoon and the ongoing northeast monsoon has severely crippled farming activities across the State.With catchment areas remaining dry, water has not been released from the Periyar and Vaigai dams for first-season cultivation.
Consequently, over 45,000 acres served by the Mullaperiyar main canal up to the ninth division, along with tail-end regions in Melur and more than 1,05,000 acres in the Tirumangalam area, has been left uncultivated. Only sporadic farming has been attempted by borewell and rain-fed farmers, sparking protests by agrarian groups State-wide demanding drought compensation.Against this backdrop, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Horticulture have initiated a digital survey of cultivated and fallow lands.
According to Madurai Agriculture Department officials, the survey has covered 8,35,000 out of the 10,41,000 land sub-divisions in the district, with work on the remaining 2,05,000 sub-divisions under way with the help of Android-equipped volunteers coordinating through local agricultural officers.Emphasising that access to government welfare schemes, crop insurance, and drought relief strictly depends on accurate land and crop records, the farmers’ association called for the Revenue Department to be integrated into the ongoing survey.He demanded that the final data be compiled taluk-wise across all 10,41,000 survey sub-divisions and made publicly accessible at taluk offices, agricultural centres, and village administrative offices so that toiling farmers can rightfully claim their entitlements. Published - October 25, 2026 07:37 pm IST