The summer rain continues to mar the harvest of paddy in upper Kuttanad. The afternoon showers on Tuesday left paddy fields in Kodankeri and Chathankery waterlogged.
The paddy, fallen in the wind and rain, had started sprouting in many parts of the Kodankery fields in the village of Peringara. The situation left many farmers, who had taken loans from private moneylenders, in a tight spot, sources said. Sam Eapen, president of the Peringara panchayat and the Upper Kuttanad Nelkarshaka Samiti told The Hindu that it was high time the government stepped in.
Mr. Eapen said waterlogging of the fields had made mechanised harvesting difficult. He said the crisis had been aggravated due to the ‘lackadaisical or rather irresponsible attitude of the authorities’ in arranging combine harvesters ahead of the summer showers.
