Farmers allege adulterated fertilizer diverted to Kalakkad

Farmers alleged adulteration in agricultural fertilizer, diverted to Kalakkad, during the farmers’ grievances redress meeting held at the District Collectorate in Tirunelveli on Friday.

The meeting was chaired by District Collector R. Sukumar.

During the meeting, farmers raised serious concerns that, fertilizers to Kalakkad were being diverted to private companies and that about a lakh of banana trees had been affected by disease due to adulterated fertilizers. Following the allegation, Mr. Sukumar had ordered the authorities to conduct an inquiry into the matter.

At the meeting, farmers from the Pallamadai region near Tirunelveli collectively demanded action, stating that thorny bushes had overgrown the water channel leading to the Pallamadai tank and that Tangedco electricity poles and the private company’s solar poles had been erected inside the channel. Responding to the grievance, Mr. Sukumar said that necessary action would be taken after having discussions holding discussions with electricity board.

Tirunelveli District Collector R. Sukumar addressing at the farmers’ grievance day meeting held in Tirunelveli on Friday.
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Farmer Abraham of Kanarpatti said that though steps had been announced to cull wild boars, the action was only symbolic. He urged that farmers should be taken along dying the culling operations and demanded that forest department issue an order ensuring that farmers would not face any action if they kill boarlets.

Farmers from Madhavakurichi region said that wild boards had destroyed crops cultivated on 1.5 acre land, but compensation had been provided by the forest department so far. They also alleged that revenue department officials had assessed crop loss as only five to ten cents.

The collector had ordered officials to conduct proper inquiry into the issue.

Officials from forest, agriculture, revenue and several other departments were present at the meeting.