RAMANATHAPURAM: Stating that water stored in waterbodies helped cultivate crops consecutively in Ramanathapuram, farmers requested the authorities to take measures to carry out maintenance works in all tanks, especially rural tanks which fall under the ambit of local bodies.
Despite being known for its drought-like conditions, Ramanathapuram district has over 1.7 lakh hectares of cultivable land. From paddy to pulses and vegetables, a variety of crops are cultivated in the district. Apart from some areas that rely on the Vaigai for irrigation needs, others depend on rainfall and water stored in waterbodies. Owing to the irrigation woes, farmers mostly restrict cultivation to just one season per year.
However, unseasonal rain towards the end of 2023 led to an increase in water levels at waterbodies across the district, due to which farmers were able to cultivate for the second time after samba cultivation.
According to the agriculture department in the district, over 6,000 hectares were used for the second crop and farmers opted for cotton and paddy crops. Ahead of the monsoon, farmers are eyeing a better crop year and expressed the need to carry out maintenance works in waterbodies ahead of monsoon, to store more water for irrigation.
Speaking to TNIE, MSK Bakkianathan, state president of Tamil Nadu Vaigai Farmer Association said, "The district has over 5,000 waterbodies, of which just 641 belong to the water resources department while the remaining are maintained by local bodies. Many union tanks are reportedly not maintained. In the Gundar division, there are hundreds of tanks under the Ragunatha Cauvery and Narayana Cauvery irrigation. However, as the approach canal is filled with the ‘invasive’ Seemai Karuvelam trees, water often does not reach the end areas. Action could be taken to carry out maintenance works in the canals, to let water reach the tanks in Kadaladi, Sikkal and Kamudhi. Also, every year, a large volume of water from the Vaigai is released into the sea during floods. Instead of this, steps should be taken to divert this water into waterbodies, to be used later."
M Gavaskar, a farmer leader from the Thiruvadanai area said, "A new canal was built to bring Vaigai water to the RS Mangalam tank. Being one of the major paddy cultivation areas in the district, Thiruvadanai has to rely on the canal from Sivaganga district or monsoon for irrigation needs. We request the authorities to take steps to bring water from the RS Mangalam tank to Thiruvadanai. The canals from Sivaganga also must be maintained. The irrigation tanks have to be deepened ahead of monsoon so that more water can be stored for irrigation needs."
In Ramanathapuram, though farmers can cultivate the crop using rainwater in monsoon, they have to rely on irrigation in the later months, he added.