CHENNAI: DMK chief M Karunanidhi on Sunday urged the State government to clarify if kuruvai cultivation could be taken up this year as farmers had to make the necessary preparations for it.
Citing reports that Cauvery water would not be released from the Mettur dam this year, due to lack of water availability, Karunanidhi said a similar situation prevailed in 2013 and the government announced that there would be no kuruvai cultivation, only samba cultivation would be done.
Farmers are anxiously waiting for an announcement from the State government and farmers association president PR Pandian has urged the State government to get the 2.5 tmc of Cauvery water allocated for Tamil Nadu this year, besides the 10 tmc of water that should be released by Karnataka next month.
The government should clarify if water for cultivation would be available this year, besides saying what the farmers should do this year and also announce steps it would take save the farm labourers ,the DMK leader said.
In 2011, Cauvery water was released on June 6, but the release of water in the years 2012, 2013 and 2014 was delayed by a month and so farmers were unable to take up kuruvai. Only farmers who could afford pumpsets cultivated kuruvai, Karunanidhi said. Usually, cultivation would be taken up in Tiruvaru, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam districts in 3 lakh acres and Cauvery water released from Mettur dam every year on June 12, he added.