A spread-out industrial network has meant higher land prices and jobs. But in the interiors, farmers have to depend on their land as a means of livelihood. It’s a mixed picture in the villages near Sriperumbudur. The overwhelming crop is paddy in this rain-fed area. Last November’s Cyclone Nisha destroyed the crop that was to be harvested in December.
Keeranallur, with a population of 2,000 (predominantly SC), is 10 km interior from Sriperumbudur. Around 100 youth from this cluster of villages, including 25 from Keeranallur, did find jobs in the industrial belt. However, only five from Keeranallur continue to be employed. "The others got laid off because of the financial downturn...they just sit around now," says Tamilarasu, a farmer.
Despite the proximity to the industrial belt, land here isn’t much sought after. "But thanks to the NREGS that came last July, at least 180 families are surviving," says Karpagam, the village’s first panchayat president. "But there’s no money left over for anything else," she adds. With five children to feed, the family is worried. "There is no upswing. In fact, there is going to be distress in agriculture," warns Dr T. Rukmani from the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation.
Pushpa Iyengar in Kanchipuram
