Rains affect agriculture in East

by Mohammed Naalir

More than 60,000 acres of paddy fields and 42 irrigation tanks have been severely affected by the torrential rains in the Eastern Province, Deputy Director, Agrarian Services Department, Batticaloa District, R. Rusanthan said.

Accordingly, 42 small tanks maintained by the Agrarian Services Department are overflowing and caused severe damage to the paddy fields facilitated by those tanks, according to Rusanthan.

Sixty thousand acres of paddy fields in the district have gone under water due to the floods, affecting a large number of farmers.

Paddy fields in Vakarai, Kiran, Eravur Pattu, Pattippalai, Vavunadivu, Wellaweli, Karadiyanaru and Valachchenai have been affected by the floods and adverse weather conditions.

Information about farmers who were affected by the floods and the damage caused are being collected by the Batticaloa District Agrarian Services Department, Rusanthan said.