NAGAPATTINAM: Days after water release from Mettur Dam was suspended, farmers in the coastal delta districts sought for the reopening of the dam for agriculture purposes. Expressing dismay over the state government casting aside their request to extend the water release, the farmers cultivating samba and thaladi crops urged the authorities to extend the water release to at least one more month. Mettur Dam was opened on May 23.
Around 64,000 hectares of samba and thaladi paddy have cultivated in Nagapattinam district in 2022-23. Only 1,800 hectares have been harvested and farmers say it would take over a month to cover the entire extent of cultivation.
Also, around 60,000 hectares of the cultivation are dependent only on water from distributaries of Vennar River. 'Cauvery' V Dhanabalan, a farmer-representative from Kilvelur block in Nagapattinam district, said, "Our district is predominantly dependent on river irrigation since 90% of the groundwater resources here is saline. Water needs to be released once in the mid of February and at every month end.
We demand the government to reopen the dam to continue cultivation until harvest." In Mayiladuthurai district, around 66,000 hectares of samba and thaladi paddy have been cultivated in 2022-23. Only 11,000 hectares have been harvested. Around 10,000 hectares are dependent only on Cauvery river irrigation.
The harvest season will extend to March. It is also to be noted that the northeast monsoon in November 2022 took a toll on cultivation in Mayiladuthurai, inflicting damage that spanned 33,000 hectares. Around 23,000 hectares have had to be cultivated again. R Vaithiyanathan a farmer-representative from Kollidam block in Mayiladuthurai district, said,
"We request for the extension of water release since many of the farmers have been re-cultivating crops and those with saline groundwater resources in coastal blocks, too, tend to depend on the water release." "After receiving requests from farmers, we wrote to the PWD emphasising the demands. We have requested two wettings for our farmers," said J Akhanda Rao, the joint director of the agriculture department.