Trichy: Following the widespread complaints received from farmers on difficulties in removing and disposing of the trees that had fallen during Cyclone Gaja on November 16, the agriculture engineering department has procured heavy-duty saws and machines to cut wooden logs of trees.The machines would be rented out to farmers at nominal rates on an hourly basis, said the officials from the engineering department. The needy farmers, especially from Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Pudukottai districts have been asked to utilize the hired machines to dispose of fallen trees. The district administrations have taken this initiative following the farmers’ complaints in disposing the trees from coconut groves and fields, officials said.A total number of 805 heavy duty saws have been acquired, of which 300 saws have been allotted to Thanjavur district where over 45 lakh coconut trees have fallen. Two hundred of them have been allotted to Nagapattinam district and 150 each to Tiruvarur and Pudukottai districts. The machines would be available for hire at Rs 85 an hour.Apart from these, the department also acquired over 100 shredders. The shredders would be available for hire at Rs 340 an hour. Tree trunks, including coconut trees, can be shredded and used as bio-mass in agricultural fields, the officials said.Farmers can contact the respective offices of the executive engineers of the Agricultural Engineering department in the districts in the affected areas to hire the machines, officials added.

Stay updated with all the Latest Trichy headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.