NAGAPATTINAM: Nearly 25 days after the Cauvery was released from Mettur dam for aiding irrigation in the delta region, the river water reached Karaikal through its distributary, Noolar, on Wednesday evening.
While farmers welcomed the entry, they expressed disappointment over the flow being only a few hundred cusecs and urged the Puducherry government to get its rightful share of Cauvery water for the region. Karaikal Collector A Kulothungan along with Thirunallar MLA PR Siva, farmers and PWD engineers J Mahesh and R Chidambaranathan welcomed the Noolar flow at Nallambal regulator and released the same for irrigation on Thursday.
The Cauvery usually flows into Karaikal as distributaries Noolar, Naattar, Vanjiyar and Thirumalairajan rivers – which aid in irrigation -- and drain rivers Nandalar, Piravidayanar and Arasalar. They originate from Mayiladuthurai, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts. Among the seven distributaries, the flow in Noolar has reached Karaikal so far. Officials expect the other distributaries to reach the region in a week. According to the WRD, the outflow at Mettur dam as of Thursday is around 10,000 cusecs while the inflow is 142 cusecs.
The dam storage level is at 85 feet. On the water flow, P Rajenthiran, the president of the Karaikal regional farmers’ welfare association, said, "The water discharge for our region is very less for field irrigation. We request the Puducherry government to urge Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and the Cauvery Water Management Authority, to provide us with our share of water."
Meanwhile, of the 180-km network of irrigation channels that the PWD is desilting in Karaikal, work has been completed in around 160 km so far. "We have designed around 90% of the targeted length of channels, including some parts under the jurisdiction of the rural development department this year. We will complete the work in a few days."
Last year, Cauvery water, which was released from Mettur dam on May 24, reached Karaikal on June 14. The delay in the river water’s arrival has pushed back the agriculture department’s cultivation target to 600 hectares this year as against 1,500 hectares last year. A senior agriculture department official said, "The farmers who are cultivating kuruvai paddy using groundwater irrigation will use the Cauvery River as a secondary source."