Pattukottai coconut farmers yet to recover from the ravages of Cyclone Gaja

Idyllic and serene, the Pattukottai Assembly Constituency has been described as the coconut belt of the Cauvery delta region.

Until some decades ago, paddy cultivation flourished in the region. It gradually gave way to coconut cultivation on large tracts of land due to the prolonged Cauvery water dispute and neglect of several water bodies. Though the Grand Anicut Canal served as the lifeline for irrigation, uncertainty over release of sufficient water through the canal had a telling effect on agriculture activity and, hence, farmers turned their eye towards coconut-growing.