THANJAVUR: Farmers who are dependent on Cauvery water for samba paddy cultivation were a disappointed lot as Cauvery, Vennaru and Grand Anaicut canals, which primarily feed the irrigation fields, did not receive enough water. P Sukumaran, a farmer from Tirupoonthurthi, said that only around 250 cusecs was released into the Kudamurutti river.
S Sivakumar, a farmer from Manathidal, said farmers could not take up long-term variety like CR1009 due to low availability of water and seed variety COR 50 was not available in depots. “We have to complete raising nursery and transplantation before September 15 to save the long-term CR1009 from heavy rains, especially, when the crop is in flowering stage.
The crop will be harvested around February 10, after 10-15 days of the closing of Mettur dam. CR1009 gives good yield with less input costs and requires more water for its growth,” he said. He added, “For successful samba paddy cultivation at least 7,000 cusecs should be released into Cauvery, from which 2,000 cusecs could be released into Kudamurutti river.”