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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Rice bowl turns into pricey real estate -B Kolappan

Rice bowl turns into pricey real estate -B Kolappan

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published Published on Apr 11, 2014   modified Modified on Apr 11, 2014
-The Hindu

 

 

Paddy cultivation is no longer lucrative in Kanyakumari district

Kanyakumari: The fertile rice bowl of erstwhile Travancore, now part of Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari district, is gripped by a serious economic and ecological crisis.

The emerald green paddy fields, banana and coconut groves in the backdrop of the Western Ghats, and irrigated by hundreds of water bodies may soon fade into a neglected prized painting, if urgent measures are not taken, warn environmentalists and agriculturists.

On the one hand, a slew of factors has rendered paddy cultivation no longer lucrative and on the other the nexus between real estate brokers and elected members of local bodies is fast converting these priceless lands into housing plots, they say.

"But this vital issue hardly finds a mention in the campaigns of major political parties," alleges environmentalist Lal Mohan, who has been running a campaign against conversion of paddy fields into housing flats and has also secured a court order. "I used to cultivate 25 acres. But it is no longer the case. First, the wage has increased manifold. Second, even if you pay, getting agricultural labourers is difficult," says A. Mathusoothanan Pillai, a farmer, from Parakkai. He explains that since the daily wages for other jobs is much higher, agricultural labourers no longer prefer their traditional vocation.

"Even if they agree to work, they demand wages on par with other jobs. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme has also attracted most of them," he says, explaining that farmers have started selling their land for conversion to real estate. Taking advantage of the travails of farmers, the real estate agents on the prowl have started purchasing paddy fields.

"The two sluices supplying water from Putherikulam have been completely blocked by real estate mafia, which has purchased land on the other side of the lake," Mr. Lal Mohan says.

P. Chenbagasekaran Pillai, a farmer from Thuvarankadu in the northern region of the district, says real estate agents normally buy the fields along the roadside and erect fences, blocking the mobility of other farmers. Lack of maintenance of water bodies and irrigation channels has also contributed to the decline in agriculture.


The Hindu, 10 April, 2014, http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/rice-bowl-turns-into-pricey-real-estate/article5893848.ece


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