TIRUCHY: Delta farmers appealed to the State government not to close the Mettur on the customary date of January 28 and release water till the end of February as the samba and thalady cultivation commenced late during this season.
According to the farmers, after Cyclone Ditwah, the ready-for-harvest kuruvai and the early samba crops had been damaged across the region, and so the farmers commenced re-cultivation in many places, and thus, the cultivation of samba and thalady was delayed.
“As of now, the water from Mettur, which was released, failed to reach the tail end part of the region, and so there is a necessity of water for the standing samba and thalady, and so the state government should initiate steps to release water till the end of February,” PR Pandian, president, Coordination Committee of All Farmers Association.
Pandian pointed out that the delta districts like Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai and Nagapattinam had received less water than the usual quantity this time.
“For instance, the GA canal, which has the capacity of 3380 cusecs, has now released just 350 cusecs from the Grand Anicut, while the flow of water is very minimal in Vennary and the Cauvery. This quantity of water is inadequate to manage the standing samba and kuruvai”, he said.
Meanwhile, Saminathan, Thanjavur district Secretary of Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association, said, as the samba and thalady were cultivated later than the usual time, the crops are in the milking stage.
So the water is very essential this time, and so the Mettur should not be closed on the customary date of January 28 and release water from Mettur till the end of February as there is adequate storage of water.