TIRUCHY: The Mettur level on Sunday stood at just 79 feet compared to 2025's level of 108 feet. The current level has made the release on the customary date (June 12) impossible and the impact on achieving the kuruvai targets.
This is unless the State urges the Centre to direct Karnataka to release the monthly dues it has been gatekeeping since January, despite the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) ruling. Meanwhile, the poor storage at Mettur reservoir has pushed agri experts to appeal to farmers to quit kuruvai and concentrate on single-crop samba.
Delta farmers say that Karnataka releases water for Tamil Nadu only when it has excess storage, thus the customary release on June 12.
Between 2020 and 2025, the release from Mettur had been on time, except in 2024, and bumper harvests were observed. Kuruvai harvests even surpassed the targets and achieved an historic harvest. Samba was also very successful during these years.
However, the storage level and storage at Mettur declined to 79 feet and 41.035 TMC, respectively, compared to the previous year's 108 feet storage level and a storage of 76.031 TMC. As there is a custom of releasing water from Mettur only when the water level stands above 100 feet, the release of water on June 12 has become impossible this year. Farmers who have commenced kuruvai cultivation have been led to use borewell as the groundwater level is comfortable in several parts of the delta region.
With farmers sceptical about going ahead with kuruvai cultivation due to water shortage, the target has been reduced to 3.44 lakh acres compared to 6.31 lakh acres achieved in 2025. The target is fixed at 1.57 lakh acres in Thanjavur, 97,000 acres in Tiruvarur, 87,000 acres in Mayiladuthurai and 59,000 acres in Nagapattinam.
The cultivation pace has been slow across the Delta, and only 35 per cent of the targeted area has been covered. The farmers have started cultivation with the support of groundwater, anticipating water release from Mettur due to the South West monsoon rains.
Senior agricultural technocrat P Kalaivanan commented, "The current storage stands at 41 TMC, which would decline to 35 TMC by the first week of June, after release for drinking purposes. As per the Supreme Court's direction, Karnataka should annually give 167 TMC to Tamil Nadu. It would be beneficial for both kuruvai and samba cultivation if Karnataka releases its due share, as we need at least 245 TMC for both crops."
Kalaivanan opined that Karnataka refuses to follow the court's direction, and it is better to quit kuruvai and concentrate on a single samba crop to avoid loss.
However, PR Pandian, president, Coordination Committee of All Farmers Association, said, "Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal directed a monthly due of water to Tamil Nadu, which Karnataka has never obeyed. The Karnataka government has not released water to date since January this year. It is the duty of the State government to insist that the Centre instructs Karnataka to release water for realising the kuruvai cultivation in the delta region," Pandian said.
Pandian also added that the Cauvery Water Management Authority meeting is scheduled on May 28 in Delhi, where the State should fight with proper legal points and get the farmers their due share of water to save the crops.
METTUR STATS
Full depth: 120 feet
Full capacity: 93.470 TMC
Due allotment from Karnataka (CWDT directive - in TMC):
June: 9.19
July: 31.24
August: 45.95
September: 36.76
October: 20.08
November: 11.76
December: 7.37
January: 2.50
February: 2.50
March: 2.50
April: 2.50
May: 2.50
Total: 177 TMC