The heavy summer rain that lashed parts of the western low lying areas forming part of the Kuttanad paddy fields have wreaked havoc with the harvest process in the polders in the district.
According to Purushothaman, a Padasekharam Committee member, the rain has added to the burden of the farmers who are having issues with contractors of combined harvesters and procurement operations.
Ripe paddy in the Ayamkudi, Pallithazham and Mannar Thekkumpuram polders has been affected by the rain. More than 50 farmers have been affected on account of the crop loss.
Irregular power supply due to the heavy rain has not helped farmers to effectively pump out excess water from the fields. “Now we have to wait for the inundated polders to dry up for save what ever is left,” said P.V. Joseph, convener of the Padasekhara Samithy.
The unethical practice to hike lease charges by contractors of combined harvesters has also affected the smooth harvesting process in many of the polders.
In fact, the district authorities had to interfere and send the combined harvesters that were taken away by contractors to another spot.
The rain has also thrown a spanner in the procurement process, complained farmers. In areas like Muppayakkari, the harvested paddy has been collected in the polders itself since the millers have not arrived for procurement, farmers pointed out.
Meanwhile according to Sunny Kalloor, Congress (I) leader, movement of the boats to the polders is hindered by the huge amount of hyacinth that has entered the backwaters.
Reaching the polders on time, and also taking the procured paddy back to the areas were road facility was available, has also become a huge problem.
He wanted immediate attention on the part of the authorities for a lasting solution to the problems.
