Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday announced compensation to people and farmers who incurred losses owing to heavy rains in the southern coastal district of Kanyakumari. The Chief Minister announced a compensation of Rs 4,100 for partly damaged huts and Rs 5,000 for fully damaged huts. He also announced an input relief of Rs 20,000 per hectare for the rainfed and irrigated paddy crop that was damaged.

About Rs 10,000 per hectare would be given to the farmers whose crop in the rainfed areas were damaged while an input relief of Rs 25,000 per hectare would be given for the loss of the perennial crops, according to an official release issued on Saturday.

Heavy rain that battered the district recently has inundated several areas besides affecting the standing crop. As per preliminary estimates, about 238 huts were damaged, the release said. The paddy and other crops, including horticulture crops, were damaged in about 35 hectares while the crop raised in 373 hectares was submerged. A total of 767 people, displaced by inundation, were accommodated in relief camps.

According to data from the Regional Meteorological Centre, in the week ending May 26, Kanyakumari has received 214.3 mm of rainfall. This is in "large excess," about 808% departure from normal that stands at 23.6 mm for the period. Kanyakumari has also recorded 142% departure from normal for the pre-monsoon season, recording 637 mm rainfall between March 1, 2021, and May 29, 2021. The district's normal rainfall level during this said period is usually 263 mm.

As per the latest weather bulletin issued on May 29, light rain is likely to occur at isolated places over south coastal and interior Tamil Nadu districts over the next three days until June 1, 2021. Tamil Nadu, on the whole, has received 117.8 mm rainfall between March 1 and May 29, 2021. This, however, is a negative departure of about 3% from normal, which that stands at 121.7 mm.

(With inputs from PTI)