CPI-affiliated outfits welcomed govt's move; CPM-backed group urged deferment until storage improves

CHENNAI: The state government’s decision to open the Mettur dam for Delta irrigation on Sept 1 has drawn a mixed response from farmers’ organisations. While the CPI-affiliated Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam welcomed the move but sought a higher discharge for Samba, the CPM-affiliated Tamil Nadu Vivasaigal Sangam urged the government to defer the opening until storage and inflows improve.

Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam state general secretary BS Masilamani said the release would provide relief to delta districts facing severe drinking water shortages and depleted groundwater. Around 700 water storage bodies had no water and only about one-sixth of the area had been covered under Kuruvai, with crops drying up in some places, he said.

However, he said the proposed 10,500-cusec release for 45 days would not support Samba cultivation. The water would take about four days to reach Kallanai, with the flow potentially falling to around 4,000 cusecs, and more than 10 days to reach tail-end areas. Much of it would flow through rivers rather than irrigation canals, he said.

Masilamani urged the government to raise the discharge to 16,000 cusecs after a week before advising farmers to begin Samba cultivation. Depending on storage, farmers could then take up medium-duration paddy varieties through full or rotational irrigation, he said.

Sami Natrajan, state general secretary of the CPM-affiliated Tamil Nadu Vivasaigal Sangam, said the reservoir level was still below 90 feet and inflow had fallen to around 7,500 cusecs. With around 40 feet of the reservoir comprising silt and sediment, he said, the water available for irrigation was limited.

At least 15,000 cusecs a day would be needed for water to reach the tail-end, while the available storage could support such a release for only 40 to 50 days, Natrajan said. With Samba cultivation expected across around 14 lakh acres, he urged the government to wait until the reservoir crossed 100 feet and inflows reached 8,000-12,000 cusecs.

He also sought consultations with Delta farmers and senior water resources and agriculture officials, and cited delayed openings in 2002, 2012 and 2016, when the dam was opened on Sept 6, Sept 17 and Sept 20 respectively. The government should consider opening it in the second week of September, he said.