Lotus cultivated in the lake in Ammanneri village near Sholinghur town for nearly a decade by a small group of farmers.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A lake in Ammanneri village near Sholinghur town has been boosting lotus cultivation in the village for nearly a decade as a group of farmers have been supplementing their regular income from paddy cultivation with it.
A border village connecting Ranipet with Tiruvallur district, Ammanneri is dotted with large tracts of paddy fields, mainly irrigated by the lake in the village. Most of the farmers cultivate paddy at least for two seasons a year. However, of late, a small group of them are also trying their hands on lotus cultivation in the lake, taking advantage of the water in the lake throughout the year. “The lake has never dried after the floods in 2015. Nearby hillocks and big lakes are its major water source,” said K. Girirajan, president, Ammanneri village panchayat.
Spread over 15 acres, the lake is mainly used for irrigation, water supply for domestic consumption, and lotus cultivation. As public auctioning for fishing in the lake is not allowed, a small group of farmers drop seeds in the lake on mutual understanding with technical support from the panchayat and officials from the Department of Agriculture. “Seeds are dropped in the lake usually during the rainy season, including the southwest monsoon. Flowers are harvested once in three months,” said K. Vembu, a farmer.
Farmers said that maintaining water up to five feet deep is mandatory for the growth of lotus, as its roots grow deep. As the lake is around 15 feet deep and has almost 90 percent water in it throughout the year, lotus cultivation has been flourishing in the waterbody.
Temples in Sholinghur, Tiruttani, Nagari, and Tirupati prefer lotus from the lake. Farmers said that the lotus is also procured for making herbal products. Several Ayurveda medicines are also made with lotus, the farmers said.