NAGAPATTINAM: Farmers in Thalainayar said 11,424 acres of samba crops dependent on the Harichandra River face crop loss as seeds sown 20 days ago remain without water as adequate Cauvery water has not reached the river, nearly a month after the Mettur dam opened. Even if water reaches the fields in the coming days, only 50-60% of the seeds are likely to germinate and survive, as prolonged heat without water has affected them.
Farmers said only a few hundred cusecs of water had reached the district, with very little water reaching tail-end areas like Thalainayar. With only about 15 days of release remaining from the Mettur dam, they fear samba season could also meet with the same fate of kuruvai season.
“Without irrigation, paddy seeds sown directly around 20 days ago have dried up, and the fields now resemble barren land,” said P Kamalram of Thalainayar, who had sown medium-duration paddy varieties on 16 acres.
The Mettur dam was opened on September 1, 81 days after the customary June 12 opening date. Farmers took up direct sowing of medium-duration Samba varieties after the government announced a 45-day water release from September 1, though they said the period would be insufficient to raise the crop.
The lack of significant rainfall so far has further compounded the water shortage in the district’s tail-end areas.“The kuruvai crop I raised on over eight acres failed due to lack of water, and now we fear the samba crop may also fail,” said G Murugadoss, who did direct sowing on eight acres 25 days ago.
Kamalram said water had reached rivers in the tail-end areas of Thalainayar and Vedaranyam only in small quantities (insufficient for irrigation), while several branch canals remained dry.
Farmers said they had been forced to borrow from private lenders to take up samba cultivation after losing the kuruvai crop. The farmers said they are also facing difficulties obtaining crop loans from banks and cooperative societies, as Village Administrative Officers are allegedly saying that Adangal certificates could be issued only after the crops had grown.
Water Resources Department officials said around 700 cusecs is being released from Thattankovil in Tiruvarur and is expected to reach the Harichandran River by Tuesday night. However, farmers said officials had told them the release would continue for only about 1.5 days, as other channels also had to be supplied. The farmers said this water would be insufficient and cover irrigation for barely 50% of the cultivated area.
