TIRUCHY : The volume of water discharged into the Cauvery from upper anaicut has been increased following the plugging of breach and seepage in the regulator in the Kollidam side. With almost the entire inflow being discharged into the Cauvery, the river is back its majestic best with water touching the banks.
Officials from the Agriculture and PWD departments are conducting regular inspections across the district to evaluate irrigation issues.
TP Ganesan, Executive Engineer, River Conservancy Division, said the discharge from Mettur dam has been increased to 22,000 cusecs recently from 20,750 cusecs. Currently, 21,174 cusecs is being realised in Mukkombu, of which 19,974 cusecs is released into Cauvery and 400 cusecs into the Kollidam, he said adding the discharge may be altered to suit farmers requirements.
Paulraj, Joint director of Agriculture department, Tiruchy, said paddy transplantation in the district has been completed on 540 hectares and work is likely to gather pace now that water has started flowing in the Cauvery. “Since water is likely to be available throughout the samba season this year, we expect many more farmers to take up transplanting works. We expect to cover at least one lakh acres this samba season,” he added.
Kaundampatti R Subramaniam, farmer and deputy secretary of Cauvery Delta Farmers Welfare Association, however, contradicted the claims. “Though the PWD is releasing about 420 cusecs in the canals for irrigation, due to improper maintenance and excessive usage of motors to suck out water from Mayanur barrage canal, farmers in tail-end areas get minimal water for irrigation. Whatever water is realised is insufficient, leaving about 10,000 acres in Thayanur at the risk of going barren.”
He added that PWD and agri-department officials should inspect the banks of Mayanur canal right till the tail end to curb illegal use of motors and to ensure all farmers get water for irrigation.
‘Hike in fertiliser price’
Farmers taking part in the monthly grievance redress meeting alleged that price of fertilizer has increased and appealed to the State government to supply fertilizers at subsidised rates. Several farmers told L Nirmal Raj, District collector who chaired the meeting, that in some places for the rate of 50 kg of fertilizer traders were giving only 40 kg. P S Masilamani, the District secretary of Tamil Nadu Farmers association pointed out in many areas the crop has wilted. “In Irulneeki village alone around 90 acres of crops wilted due to non-availability of water”, he said.
Masilamani wanted supply of free seeds to farmers who lost their crop after sowing and also payment of subsidy for ploughing. He also complained that the Village Administrative officers have been refusing to issue cultivation certificate to those who were cultivating on temple, trust lands. Due to this the cultivators could not access the bank loan and insure their crops, he pointed out.