Arecanut is widely grown in Karnataka, Kerala and Assam and these three states contribute more than 80 per cent of the total production. It is also cultivated to a small extent in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Meghalaya, Goa, Tripura, Puducherry, Mizoram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The unusual rain in Karnataka has severely affected Arecanut crops, popularly known as betel nut or supari.
Farmers in the Holalkere, Hosadurga and Chitradurga taluks took to arecanut cultivation due to a steep increase in its price in the last few years. But due to vagaries of nature, scanty rainfall in the last three years and depletion of groundwater table, the farmers have incurred heavy losses.
Scanty rain is not the only reason; in fact untimely rain that has been lashing the state since March has majorly affected the crops and the growers have not received any compensation for their loss till date.
Heavy rains accompanied by squally winds wreaked havoc in several villages of south Karnataka, destroying crops on Monday night. More than 281 arecanut trees were uprooted at a village called Kula. Hundreds of banana, coconut, mango trees, Singapore jackfruit and Jambunerale (jamun) trees were also not spared. Few people also lost their lives as lightning struck them. Not only trees were uprooted but also damaged agricultural crops in many parts of the State.
In a span of 24 hours from 8.30 am on Wednesday, several places in Karnataka including Bangalore received 7.4 mm of rain, Belgaum 31.2, Chitradurga 5 mm, Gadag 5.8 mm, Honnavar 18.4 mm, Karwar 14.4 mm and Mangalore 5.5 mm of rain. Goa also received 3.3 mm of rain while Nashik received 7.5 mm.
The tropical low pressure area, which has now become a well-marked area will continue to feed in moisture and bring heavy rain to Kerala and south coastal Karnataka. But the intensity of pre-monsoon rain will reduce in Tamil Nadu.
Today heavy to good amounts of rain and thundershowers are likely at many places over Chikmagalur, Dakshina Kannada, Hassan, Kodagu, Shimoga and Uttara Kannada districts of Karnataka with strong winds ranging between 60 kmph and 100 kmph.
Clouding has reached Maharashtra according to the latest weather update by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, rain will continue over Maharashtra and Konkan coast as well for the next 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the latest weather update issued by Skymet informs that the weather system will lose its steam as it enters the land. At present the system is close to north Kerala and south coastal Karnataka and will shift towards the land during the next 24 hours.
picture courtesy- couriermail
