THANJAVUR: The sharp fall in groundwater levels, increase in salinity and non-release of water from the Mettur dam have dealt a triple blow to kuruvai farmers in parts of the Cauvery delta. With scorching heat accelerating evaporation, farmers in Papanasam and Tiruvaiyaru are struggling to keep their standing crop alive. The crisis deepened as Tangedco informed farmers on Wednesday. that the 18-hour free power supply for irrigation pumps will henceforth be reduced to 14 hours.
According to agriculture department officials, kuruvai has been cultivated on around one lakh acres using groundwater across Thanjavur. Under normal circumstances, farmers who begin cultivation with groundwater supplement irrigation after the annual release of Cauvery water from the Mettur dam.
This year, however, water could not be released from Mettur on the customary date of June 12 because of poor storage, leaving thousands of farmers dependent on depleting groundwater. “Water quickly evaporates from the fields due to heat.
There has been no water flow in the nearby Cauvery for over six months. The water table is also going down,” said G Srinivasan of Ganapathy Agraharam in Papanasam. The reduction in power supply has only added to the hardship.
According to sources, kuruvai cultivation has been taken up on around 8,400 acres in Papanasam block alone, of which harvesting has already been completed on about 2,000 acres.
Farmers highlighted another challenge confronting them in Vellam Perambur, Then Perambur, Allur Azhisikudi, Panaveli and surrounding villages, where salinity of groundwater has increased considerably. “In the last few years, water from Mettur dam was released on the stipulated date and the flow in its canals recharged the groundwater, reducing salinity. That has not happened this year,” a farmer said.
While farmers like Srinivasan have urged the government to release water from Mettur for at least a few days before Adi Perukku on August 3, agriculture experts said current storage level does not permit such a move. “Water storage in the dam is around 35 tmcft against its full capacity of 93.47 tmcft. Earlier, we expected it to be opened in August. It now appears water can be released only in September,” said P Kalaivanan, Senior Agro Technologist Forum. He said farmers could still manage by opting for direct sowing of medium-duration samba paddy in September, banking on the monsoon.