CHENNAI: Pointing out that water from Mettur Dam was not released on the usual date of June 12 (Wednesday) for kuruvai cultivation, PMK founder S Ramadoss urged the state government to provide the kuruvai package to the farmers in Cauvery irrigated districts.
In a statement, the senior leader said that Mettur Dam had a storage of 14.08 TMC only and the present storage is not sufficient for irrigation.
"Also, there is no possibility for water to be released from dams like Kabini, Krishnaraja Sagar, Harangi and Hemavathi. Even though Southwest monsoon commenced in Kerala, rain is yet to pick up pace in Cauvery catchment areas, " he added.
Saying that water from Mettur Dam can only be released after the second half of August, Ramadoss urged the state government to encourage cultivation using ground water.
"Kuruvai package will be helpful for kuruvai cultivation using ground water. During the previous year, kuruvai, samba and thaladi crops were affected due to water shortage. Farmers can come out of last year's loss if kuruvai crops succeed, " he pointed out.
Considering the welfare of the farmers, the government should provide a kuruvai package and ensure uninterrupted power supply for 24 hours so that groundwater can be drawn.
In a separate statement, party president Anbumani Ramadoss requested the government to get a ban against online gambling from the Supreme Court.
"It is shocking that a Muthukumar, a private employee in Coimbatore, committed suicide after losing money in online gambling. In the last 7 months since the High Court lifted the ban against such games, 13 persons have lost their lives, " he said.