PUDUCHERRY: The Literary Wing of the DMK has urged the Puducherry government to secure the release of the Union Territory’s share of 6 tmc feet of Cauvery water, as per the Cauvery Tribunal Award, for the farmers of Karaikal.
In a statement, V Balasubramanian, convenor of the wing, said that already, the cultivable area for samba crops has come down to 10,000 acres from the 40,000 acres in the past due to deficiency of Cauvery water. Now with the Mettur Dam opened, the Puducherry government should take it up with Tamil Nadu and ensure that Cauvery water reaches the region, he added.
Stating that the farmers of Karaikal region were not getting quality seeds, which they procure from Nagapattinam, and fertilisers, he urged the government to make them available through the cooperative sector. The irrigation channels also should be desilted so that water reaches the cultivable area.