CHIDAMBARAM: The Agriculture department has adopted a new strategy to reduce brackishness of underground water in the tsunami-hit coastal areas. For the purpose, it has allotted Rs. 58, 61,000 to improve the quality of groundwater in Cuddalore, Kurinjipadi and Parangipettai blocks, according to T.Gunasekaran, Joint Director (Agriculture).
Mr. Gunasekaran told the visiting reporters that it had been proposed to set up 831 farm ponds in these areas, with each pond having a storage capacity of 4,500 cubic feet to 7,750 cu.ft.
These ponds could store up to 1.25 lakh-2.2 lakh litres of water, particularly during the rainy season. The existence of such a large number of ponds would enable percolation of sweet water into the soil that in turn would reduce the brackishness of the underground water.
Moreover, these ponds would also give a thrust to coastal cultivation, Mr. Gunasekaran said.
Considering the potential to augment farm income, the department was also creating awareness among the farmers to take to oil palm cultivation.
He said Rs 76.4 lakh had been allotted to Cuddalore district to expand the area under oil palm. It was just sufficient to plant 56 saplings an acre and after three years the yield would fetch Rs 30,000 a palm a year.
Comparatively, the income from groundnut would be Rs. 340 an acre and coconut Rs. 1,000 an acre. Inter-cropping was also possible in oil palm cultivation and it would fetch additional income. Since, there was minimal manpower need oil palm cultivation was a viable proposition, he said.
At Puduchathiram, Rajeswari Maragatham, a progressive farmer, had resorted to direct sowing of paddy, as this method required lesser quantum of water but gave higher yield than the traditional farm practices. The farmers could save about Rs. 2,000 an acre on sowing, and get a paddy yield of about 400-500 kg an acre. At Pinnalur, P.R.Natarjan had demonstrated the mechanised planting of paddy sapling. In the district, mechanised planting had been done on 4,320 acres. Four acres could be covered in an hour and since, less manpower was involved it would amount to a saving of Rs 2,000 an acre.
At Vandurayanpettai, Mr. Gunasekaran inspected the 100-tonne capacity of seed farm.
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