NAGAPATTINAM: Highlighting how the recent unseasonal rains came in as a blessing in disguise for many, officials of the PWD cast aside the demands of the farmers in the coastal delta region to reopen the Mettur Dam.
Earlier, the farmers here had requested with the state government to reopen the Mettur Dam and release water for at least a month. However, PWD officials said that adequate water would be available for at least a couple of weeks owing to the rains.
Around 50,000 hectares of harvest-ready samba crops had borne the brunt of unseasonal rains last week. Meanwhile, around 15,000 hectares of thaladi crops - cultivated after the harvest of kuruvai - benefited from the unseasonal rains.
An official of the PWD-WRO said, "The Mettur Dam need not be reopened now, courtesy of the unseasonal rains which have fulfilled the irrigation requirements. The catchment areas of downstream regulators have received sufficient rainwater which could be utilised for the coming weeks."
The Mettur dam was closed on January 28. However, based on the recommendations of the agriculture department, the district collector had wrote to the public works department-water resources organization to reopen the dam for a couple of wetting in February 10 and 28. M Prakash, a farmer representative from Nagapattinam, said, "The farmers cultivating thaladi crops can manage for a week or even ten days. However, the water woes would return to affect them after that."
J Akhandarao, the joint director of the agriculture department, said, "The farmers should be cautious of rain-related pests and diseases in the next couple of weeks. Prudent use of fertilisers would prevent problems caused by excessive stagnation."