KARAIKAL: A three-month struggle for Karaikal farmers without water from River Cauvery and insufficient rain is being overcome, courtesy of the monsoon spell over the past few days. The recent direction by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to release 165 cusecs of river water to the region has also boosted farmers’ hopes for them to undertake samba and thaladi paddy cultivation over around 3800 hectares so far.
With the quantum of rainfall, Karaikal received in the past five days above 150 mm, farmers are utilising it to undertake cultivation. MR Rajendiran, a 64-year-old farmer from Annavasal in Nedungadu commune, said, “I commenced samba cultivation on seven acres with a medium duration crop variety in the second week of October. The rains are immensely helpful for my cultivation. Hopefully, the shower spells will continue until we receive our share of Cauvery water.”
During the recently concluded CWMA meeting, the authority upheld CWRC’s instruction and directed Karnataka to release 2,600 cusecs of Cauvery water for Tamil Nadu and also release 165 cusecs to Karaikal of Puducherry region.
R Ganesan, additional director of the agriculture department, said, “A majority of the farmers have skipped long-duration varieties and are cultivating medium-duration varieties. The crops are sprouting from the rains over the past few days. Many farmers are utilising the rain to carry out farm work. Most farmers have sown directly.”
According to the agriculture department, around 3,200 hectares have come under samba cultivation and the thaladi crop is being raised over 400 hectares in Karaikal. Meanwhile, farmers continue to wait for frequent discharge of Cauvery waters to the tail-end delta region.
Karaikal has received only about 1.2 tmcft of river water out of the total entitlement of 5 tmcft. According to the WRD, the Mettur dam outflow is around 500 cusecs while the inflow is 2,927 cusecs. The dam level is currently at 53.42 feet. >From the Grand Anaicut (Kallanai), the Cauvery release is 301 cusecs while there is nil flow into the Vennaru and the Grand Anaicut Canal. "As rain is aiding farmers, we are storing Cauvery waters at regulators around the respective Normal Supply Level (NSL) and then will release it for irrigation for the next two weeks," said a senior PWD official in Karaikal.