MADURAI: The wait for irrigation water has delayed Samba paddy operations in the Vaigai command areas of Madurai, Dindigul and Theni even as farmers in rainfed Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram have made a head-start with the commencement of sowing following early rains.
With water storage remaining low in the Mullaperiyar and Vaigai dams, farmers are now looking towards rainfall and short-duration paddy varieties to salvage the Samba season.
The delay in the release of irrigation water follows a severely curtailed Kuruvai season in the three Vaigai basin districts, where water scarcity resulted in a combined decline of more than 13,600 hectares.
Water for the Samba season, which normally runs from September to January, is usually released from the Mullai Periyar and Vaigai Dams starting September 15. However, with the storage position remaining critical, farmers fear that further delay could affect the crop cycle.
"We need 2,030 to 2,230 cusecs per day, but the inflow is much lower. We are slowly losing hope for Samba, just like the Kuruvai season this year," said S Kurinji Kumaran, president of the Single-Crop Farmers Association.
Several farmers from Theni, Dindigul and Madurai echoed these concerns, noting that the delayed water release during the previous Kuruvai season caused crop failure. Consequently, they stated they would begin cultivation only after receiving clear assurance of timely water availability.
According to Water Resources Department data, Mullaperiyar Dam had 2,177 mcft of storage at 117.50 feet, with an inflow of 90 cusecs and discharge of 400 cusecs. Vaigai Dam stood at 42.36 ft against its full level of 71 ft, with 1,148 mcft of storage, an inflow of 20 cusecs and discharge of 86 cusecs. The combined storage was just over 3,300 mcft.
A senior WRD official said water release could be considered by October 15 if the catchments receive two days of sustained heavy rain, which would bring combined storage beyond 4,000-6,000 mcft.
In contrast, farmers in Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga, which largely depend on rainfall and do not cultivate Kuruvai, have begun sowing after receiving early showers. Around 3,000 ha have been covered in each district.
In Ramanathapuram, Samba cultivation is expected across 1.31 lakh ha against a normal annual area of 1.41 lakh ha. Sivaganga is targeting 75,000-80,000 ha, with only 1,400-2,000 ha in Manamadurai and Thiruppachethi dependent on the Vaigai network.
Farmer M Gavaskar of Thiruvadanai urged authorities to desilt canals and supply water to tanks to maximise rainwater storage. "The irrigation tanks play a major role in irrigating the large cultivation area in both Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram districts," Gavaskar added.
Meanwhile, the Agriculture Department is promoting short-duration paddy varieties and direct seeding to reduce the crop cycle and water requirement. Direct sowing is being widely opted for more than usual to reduce transplanting times, while awareness programmes are being conducted on managing erratic rainfall (El Niño effect). Adequate seeds are ready in all respective districts.
Theni district
Normal annual paddy area: Around 12,500-13,000 ha
Expected Samba paddy area: Around 2,200 - 5,000 ha
Expected Kuruvai area: Around 5,550 ha
Kuruvai area covered currently: Around 600 ha
Kuruvai shortfall: Around 5,000 ha
Early Samba sown so far: 1,070 ha
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Samba target for Theni district this year: 2,255 ha
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Dindigul district
Normal annual paddy area: Around 13,247-13,300 ha
Expected Samba paddy area: Around 7,000-8,000 ha
Expected Kuruvai area: Around 2,500 ha
Kuruvai area covered currently: Around 850-860 ha
Kuruvai shortfall: Around 1,600-1,700 ha
Direct sowing: Estimated at around 60%, says official
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Samba sowing yet to start in Dindigul district
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Madurai district
Normal annual paddy area: Around 60,000 ha
Expected Samba paddy area: Around 45,000 ha
Expected Kuruvai area: Around 9,400 ha
Kuruvai area covered currently: Around 2,400 ha
Kuruvai shortfall: Around 7,000 ha
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Early Samba sowing yet to start in Madurai district
Samba target for Madurai district this year : 31,000 ha
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Sivaganga district
Normal annual paddy area: Around 75,000-80,000 ha
Expected Samba paddy area: 75,000 - 80,000 ha
Expected Kuruvai area: No Kuruvai cultivation
Early Samba sown so far: 3,000 ha
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Hardly 1,400-2,0000 ha in the Manamadurai and Thiruppachethi blocks are irrigated by Vaigai river, while majority of the areas are rainfed.
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Ramanathapuram district
Normal annual paddy area: 1.41 lakh ha
Expected Samba paddy area: 1.31 lakh ha (Similar to last year)
Expected Kuruvai area: No Kuruvai cultivation
Early Samba sown so far: 3,000 ha (RS Mangalam areas)
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Mostly all the Samba area in Ramanathapuram district are rainfed
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Sources: Agriculture Department from respective districts
Ha: Hectare
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Dam status
DAM | Storage | Inflow | Discharge
Periyar: 117.50 ft | 2,177 mcft | 90 cusecs | 400 cusecs.
Vaigai: 42.36 ft | 1,148 mcft | 20 cusecs | 86 cusecs.
Combined storage: 3,325 mcft
Sources: WRD