TIRUCHY: With Mettur reservoir storage at 47.809 TMC against the full capacity of 93.470 TMC on Sunday and the total requirement for samba and thalady crops at 150 TMC, agricultural experts advised farmers dependent on river irrigation to quit samba cultivation, and those with adequate borewell facilities to switch to direct sowing and to bypass traditional water-heavy nurseries.
Samba cultivation contributes the highest share of total paddy production in the State, with at least 10.50 lakh acres cultivated in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai and Cuddalore, and production estimated at 45 lakh MT. Around 60% of farmers depend on bore wells for samba cultivation, while the remaining 40% opt for river irrigation.
However, the farmers said that the samba target might not be achieved this year as Mettur storage has been declining day by day and on Sunday it stood at 47.809 TMC against the previous week of 50.977 TMC (on Sept 13), with inflow witnessing a sharp decline to 4,484 cusecs on Sunday against the inflow on Saturday with 6,563 cusecs.
The farmers who had already ploughed lands should opt for direct sowing to reduce water usage. The sowing should be completed by September 30; only then will the crops benefit from the ensuing NE monsoonP Kalaivanan, Senior Agricultural Technocrat
“The current storage at Mettur can be used only for 40 days. El Niño might cause rainfall to fall short of expectations. As the outflow from Mettur stepped up to 12,000 cusecs on Sunday against 3,000 cusecs from the opening date of September 1, the storage would further decline,” said P Kalaivanan, Senior Agricultural Technocrat.
Explaining that a steady release of at least 22,000 cusecs could only flow upward towards the tail-end region and would not reach the irrigation canals otherwise, Kalaivanan said farmers dependent on river water irrigation should quit samba cultivation.
He suggested that farmers with adequate borewell facilities can go ahead, as the current flow into the rivers could have recharged the groundwater table. “The farmers who had already ploughed their lands should opt for direct sowing that would reduce the usage of water. The sowing should be completed by September 30; only then will the crops benefit from the ensuing North East monsoon,” Kalaivanan said.
He also stated that cultivation by September end would realise harvest by February, for which December is a crucial period as the crops would reach either milking or flowering stage. “There should be rain at least for 10 days in December, which would support the growth of the crops,” Kalaivanan said, stressing that rain-fed cultivation is the only possibility for samba this year.
Sami Natarajan, state general secretary of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, noted that most of the farmers of the tail-end regions dependent on the groundwater need proper support from the government.
However, in certain areas in the Delta, the farmers have commenced the samba cultivation with the anticipation of the NE monsoon. “Though a good spell of rain is forecasted for the NE monsoon despite the El Niño conditions, the absence of storage facilities is a major hurdle,” Natarajan said. He appealed to the government to create farm ponds in rainfed regions for farmers to store water temporarily and utilise it for irrigation.
Meanwhile, PR Pandian, President of the Coordination Committee of All Farmers Association, said, “Despite repeated appeals to the government to release Mettur water only by September 30, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay released water on September 1. Now, the water flow in the main rivers has been affected.”
“Had the government paid heed to our suggestion on releasing Mettur water, we could have realised some benefit to a certain extent. The government should bear responsibility for loss,” Pandian added.
Total cultivation: 10,42,500 acres
Thanjavur- 3.36 lakh acres
Tiruvarur- 3.62 lakh acres
Mayiladuthurai- 1.72 lakhs
Nagapattinam- 1.62 lakhs
Full level – 120 feet
Cauvery: 3,703 cusecs (full capacity 10,691)
Vennaru: 3,305 (full capacity 3.305)
GA Canal: 1,011 (full capacity: 3,380)
Kollidam: 1007 (full capacity nil)
Cauvery irrigating districts: Tiruchy, Thanjavur, Mayiladuthurai (empties at sea in Poompuhar)
Vennar: Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam (empties in Bay of Bengal in Nagai)
GA Canal: Thanjavur and Pudukkottai (empties in Mumbalai lake in Pudukkottai)
Kollidam: Tiruchy, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai (empties in Bay of Bengal via Pazhaiyar in Mayiladuthruai)