The next system, which the India Meteorological Department (IMD) says may intensify into yet another cyclone by Monday evening, too, is unlikely to help. In fact, it is expected to disrupt the monsoon flow, leaving Tamil Nadu high and dry.
The worst-hit among the 38 districts is Thanjavur, which has received less than half the normal rainfall this season. From October 1 to November 14, the Delta district is supposed to get 298.7 mm of rainfall, but the actual was only 143.9 mm, a deficiency of 52%. This is a double whammy for the thousands of farmers who are already reeling under a series of setbacks that have resulted in large-scale losses.
The primarily agrarian Delta districts in its neighbourhood are not better off: Tiruvarur (-33%), Pudukkottai (-33%), Mayiladuthurai (-32%), Ariyalur (-31%), Nagapattinam (-21%) and Cuddalore (-31%) are all facing a crippling shortage of rainfall, which will affect the ongoing thaladi (late samba) crop, which in turn will have a direct impact on Tamil Nadu’s food security in the near future.
