Farmers want more water from Mettur for kuruvai crop

 

 

There is an immediate need to increase water discharge from the Mettur dam to keep the paddy crop alive.

Trichy: Farmers from Trichy district hope the recent showers during evening hours will be very helpful for their kuruvai paddy crop which has been raised in about 8,500 acres across the district. However, they have appealed to the state government to discharge a minimum of 3,000 cusecs water into the Cauvery from the Mettur reservoir to maintain the ground water table.

Sources from the agriculture department say farmers in Trichy district, particularly those from Musiri, Thottiam, Lalgudi, Thiruverumbur, Manachanallur taluks and Anthanallur and Manikandam unions have brought more area under kuruvai cultivation.

"Farmers from Lalgudi who are raising kuruvai crops in about 2,000 acres are relieved as they have been witnessing moderate rainfall for the past few days. However, how far it would safeguard the crops till harvesting is a big question mark," said N Veerasekaran, coordinator, Ayyan Vaikkal Irrigation Farmers Association.

According to available data, water inflow into the Mettur reservoir from Karnataka dams has gone up from 10,000 cusecs to more than 13,000 cusecs and the water level in the Mettur reservoir was 51 feet on Monday. A total of 2,000 cusecs water has been discharged for drinking water purposes.

"Since all the irrigation canals in the district, particularly in Lalgudi, are almost dry, there is an immediate need to increase water discharge from the Mettur dam that would flow into the canals to sustain the ground water table that is essential to keep the paddy crop alive. The state government should increase the water release to 3,000 cusecs before 'aadi perukku' (aadi monsoon festival)," Veerasekaran said adding that there was a past history of releasing water before full-fledged water release from the reservoir.

Source : TOI