Erode: As the state has been facing a drought like situation, and farmers across Tamil Nadu incurring heavy losses as their crops withering away, drip irrigation has come in handy for farmers in Gobichettipalayam taluk in Erode district. Many farmers said the technique, apart from helping them sustaining their crops, has also provided “decent to good” margins on their yield.Farmers in the region mainly depend on the Bhavanisagar dam and Kalingarayan canal for their irrigation. But with shortfall of rain in the past three years the water bodies have been on the verge of being bone dry. To add to their woes the ground water level has also been gradually depleting, so much so that bore wells have very little or no water to offer..The district usually records about 700mm of rain on an average every year. “We received 600mm of rain last year, but this year we recorded only 88mm of rain up to November,” said meteorological officials in Erode district.With no respite in sight, the agricultural department has recommended the farmers to use the drip irrigation method. “With the help of drip irrigation we can farm with very limited amount of water and sustain our yields,” said A Palanisamy from Chinnakkoundanpalayam village near Nambiyur. Talking to TOI, he further said that all farmers received subsidies on purchase of equipment and installations.“Usually, I harvest about 600kgs of groundnut seeds from one acre of land. This time the yield stood at 820kgs,” Palanisamy said. Similarly, M Balasubramaniam, another farmer from the same villagem, said that he spent only Rs15,000 for cultivating one acre of land. “I have sold 800kgs of groundnut seeds for Rs40,000 and my profits stood at Rs.25,000 for an acre,” he said and added that he had cultivated groundnut seeds on four acres.With the results visible, more than 500 farmers in Chinnyapalayam, Gobichettipalayam, P Mettupalayam, Modakkuruchi, Avalpoonthurai, D.Mettupalayam, Arachalur, Seerangapalayam, Nambiyur in Gobichettipalayam taluk have started adopting the method and have installed drip and sprinkler systems in their fields.