Farmers showing Musiri MLA N. Thiyagarajan the damaged bana plants on Monday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
A sudden spell of rain accompanied by strong winds, called Chithirai Chuzhi in local parlance, has damaged banana plants in and around Thottiyam.
Strong winds started in the late evening on Sunday and ended with heavy rain damaging banana and betel plants planted near the Kattuputhur area.
K.S. Tamilvanan, a banana farmer, has lost 900 banana trees. “It was unexpected. For the past three years, we did not have Chithirai Chuzhi. But this time, we faced such a wind. Banana is an annual crop and this is the harvest season when we get our yield for an year-long effort. But, now we have nothing,” he said.
Musiri MLA N. Thiyagarajan visited the affected areas and met the farmers. Officials from the district administration and the Horticulture department visited the affected areas. “We have inspected eight villages in Thottiyam. Kattuputhur East is the worst affected. We have estimated that crop on 130 acres has been lost.”