Thiruchirapalli
Expressing satisfaction over the directive of the Supreme Court, which had at least understood the gravity of the situation, Ranganathan said that the farmers in delta region have already lost one crop and the court should ensure that they get the right harvest in Samba as there are hardly 20 days left for the north west (NW) monsoon. Meanwhile, with the release of 15,000 cusec each for 10 days, only 12 tmc would be received and this would push up the storage in the Mettur dam by another eight feet only. “At present, the storage stands at 74 feet and with another eight feet, it may not be possible to cater to the needs of the samba crop. A minimum of 90 feet will be required to open the Mettur dam for delta irrigation.
So, the Tamil Nadu government should fight for at least 25 tmc to start the cultivation till the onset of NW monsoon,” Ranganathan stressed. Echoing his view, Swamimalai S Vimalnathan, secretary, Cauvery Farmers Protection Association, said that Karnataka was due to give 51 tmc till the end of August 31. But, by the SC’s latest directive Tamil Nadu would only get 12 tmc. “The present quantum will not be sufficient and it is unlikely that tail end farmers will get even a drop. Another big question is whether Karnataka government will oblige the directive, as it had dishonoured several orders of the SC on previous occasions”, Vimalnathan opined. He also urged the state government to convene a meeting of delta farmers and ascertain their views on water issues to tide over the crisis. P Viswanathan, President, Tamilaga Eri Mattrum Attru Paasna Vivasayigal Sangam said that the present quantum of water ordered to be released would be totally inadequate for raising samba.
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