Cyclonic storm Gaja, which wreaked havoc in several districts of Tamil Nadu, may have uprooted over 40 lakh coconut trees in addition to destroying dozens of houses, preliminary official data shows. Farmers say it will take them at least 25 years just to cover the losses they suffered because of Gaja.
"It has set us back by 25 years. In one night, the cyclone has uprooted not only the trees but also our lives," said S Vairavan of the state's Thanjavur district.
Coconut farmers in the Cauvery delta districts of the state are staring at huge losses, especially since crops like coconuts aren't covered by insurance policies. And since they can't even replant the trees in the near future, the farmers are looking at a lifetime's loss. "Even the few trees that weren't flattened by the storm were of no use and would have to be cut down," Vairavan said.
Vairavan was the owner of a 12-acre plot of land which was home to 1,010 coconut trees that provided him with an income of Rs 15 lakh a year. "I have planted teak and mango trees in my land alongside the coconut trees. But instead of earnin good revenue after 30 years of hard work, I have lost everything," he said, adding that it's not just the land owners who have lost their livelihood but also the labourers who now have no income.
Though rice is the main crop in the delta districts, farmers have shifted to coconut cultivation due to water shortage, and because it offers a sustained income. M Palanivel of Paingal village said the tree cover in his village was so dense that there would be no sunlight on the ground. "But today I stare at an open sky, as almost all the trees were uprooted," he said.
Six days after the cyclone, he says, no government official has visited the surrounding localities, either to provide compensation or to count the losses. Rejecting the compensation offered by the government, of Rs 2.64 lakh per hectare, he said, the ideal compensation should be Rs 25,000 per tree as replanting coconuts will start providing an income after 10 years.
