TIRUCHY: With the Mettur dam’s storage level above 100 feet, farmers in Tiruchy and Karur districts are demanding the government to release at least 3,000 cusecs of water daily to sustain thousands of hectares of standing crops. Apart from paddy, farmers cultivate summer cash crops such as pulses and oilseeds on larger areas.
Water discharged from the Mettur dam is used to irrigate these agricultural lands in delta regions. However, inconsistent release of Cauvery water in recent years has left farmers increasingly reliant on groundwater and rainfall. Traditionally, after the customary closing date of January 28, water release from Mettur for delta irrigation is stopped.
But based on storage levels of the reservoir, 1,500 to 3,000 cusecs of water are usually released, feeding canals such as Raja Kumarapalayam, Mohanur, Kattuputhur, Vadakarai, Ayyan, Peruvalai, and Srirangam Nattu Vaickal. Similarly, 17 other tributary canals, including those in Pugalur, Vaangal, Nerur, Krishnarayapuram, Thenkarai and Uyyakondan, would receive a continuous supply.
These canals in turn irrigate crops like banana, sugarcane, pulses, oilseeds, turmeric, betel vine, flowers, and korai grass, while farmers in low-lying areas go for summer paddy. However, this process was disrupted between 2014 and 2017 due to drought and water dispute with Karnataka, leading to irregular release of water during summer, said Ayilai Sivasuriyan, a state executive committee member of the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam.
“Despite the Mettur dam’s current storage level of 108.7 ft, only 1,003 cusecs are being released for drinking water purposes. This has forced farmers to abandon summer paddy cultivation,” he added. N Veerasekaran, state spokesperson of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, said that except for June, these canals typically receive water throughout the year.
“As per a government orders, 3,000 cusecs should be released to irrigate thousands of acres on both the north and south banks of Cauvery. With the reservoir level still above 100 ft, we hope water will be released until May to support banana plantations, perennial crops and summer paddy,” he added.