Agriculture Drought Management in Ramanathapuram District of Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

Drought is one of the recurring features of Indian agriculture, especially in the rain fed areas. It affects not only the national food security but also causes miseries to human life and live stock. The study area, i.e., Ramanathapuram district of Tamilnadu, India (Latitude 9°40′and Longitude 78°70′) has been affected consecutively for the last three years from 2015 to 2018 by drought, due to the failure of rainfall of northeast and southwest monsoons. So, the economic status of the area has declined due to the drought and the people from this district have migrated to other districts to improve their socio-economic status. This district has seven taluks, eleven blocks and four hundred villages. Major physiography units of the district are vast coastal plain, adjacent alluvial plain and a small area of buried pediments. The predominant geological formations are recent alluvium, and laterite followed by mio-pliocene Cuddalore Sandstone, upper cretaceous calcareous sandstone and proterozoic basement rocks. The total thickness of sedimentary rocks may be upto 3000 metre. The shallow aquifer in the district is severely affected by sea water intrusion and the inland salinity of marine sedimentary formations. Since the shallow aquifer is saline, paddy cultivation practices are generally being done through rain fed lake irrigation. According to the Central Ground Water Board report, the deeper groundwater aquifer in this district would give a continuous supply of freshwater. In order to develop agriculture activities and avoid drought management, the following steps are to be undertaken immediately. 1. River linking scheme of westerly debouching, i.e., Western Ghat Rivers in the Arabian Sea with the ephemeral rivers of the study area such as Vaigai, Gundar and Kottakkarai Rivers to improve the recharge of groundwater and prevent sea water intrusion. 2. Delineation of the depth of deeper fresh water in Tertiary and Cretaceous aquifer by sub-surface mapping study through 2D resistivity imaging depth profile study and borehole data. 3. Augmentation of engineering structures in the coastal area will prevent sea water intrusion in the shallow aquifer. 4. To improve the socio-economic status of the farmer and for drought management, a crop insurance scheme should be implemented for farmers. 5. Providing long term loans with subsidy facilities should be implemented for the construction of bore holes to improve crop production by getting fresh water from a deeper aquifer. 6. The study area is located nearer to the sea, so the large scale desalination plant system should be implemented by government organisation to get fresh water for improving agriculture practices.