Thanjavur farmers buy water at high costs to save nurseries

Krishnan (62), a farmer from Kandiyur decided to cultivate five acres as the water was released from the Grand Anicut in Kudamuritti River on September 24. He brought four bags of seeds and started the farming process. 

Two weeks later, when the seeds had developed into nurseries, water from Kudamuritti stopped and the rain too failed. The nurseries started withering. Unable to bear such a sight and with no bore-wells nearby, Krishan in a desperate act to save the nurseries hired a tanker of water with a capacity of 6000 litres for Rs 2000. 

“The fields need at least five tanker lorries of water each day and I have spent Rs 10,000 per day just to save the nurseries,” Krishnan said. He has been watering the field on alternate days to save the crop from drying. The condition of most of the farmers in the district is the same and they are forced to shell out more just to save the nurseries till the Cauvery water or rain arrive. 

P Sugumaran, Association of Cauvery Farmers Protection, said “Only when 2,500 cusec of water is released into Kudamuritti, the water will be able to reach all the areas. But at present only 1,000 cusec is being released into the river. It will never help in farming activities.” 

“If the crops had grown, it can withstand until the monsoon, but water shortage experienced from the initial stage cannot be tackled by the farmers. They will incur huge loss,” he added.