No water: Samba withers across Delta

Delay in release of water from Mettur and the failure of monsoon has come as a double whammy for farmers of Cauvery delta region as they are witnessing the withering of samba crops cultivated late based on the water release schedule.

Crops on 10,000 ha in Thanjavur, around 40,000 ha in Nagapattinam and 25,000 ha in Tiruvarur have almost withered and the farmers have urged authorities for an early assessment and recommendation of compensation. 

According to farmers in Thanjavur, the target of Samba cultivation was 1.05 lakh hectares, but cultivation was undertaken only on 96,000 ha. Since water was released from Mettur late, it failed to reach the tail-end regions of the Delta. For instance, the usual 4,000 cusecs of water to Grand Anicut was reduced to 2,000 cuesecs and so the waterbodies in Pattukottai, Sethubavachatram and Peravurani regions in Thanjavur district did not get water, prompting poor growth and wilting.

Similarly, the monsoon witnessed 20 per cent less rainfall and the condition was worse in regions like Peravurani and Sethubavachatram where only 170 mm rainfall was recorded in 2017 against the usual 500 mm. “This resulted in withering of crops in the Thanjavur region where 10,000 ha crop was damaged. Of that, Sethubavachatram region alone experienced 2,200 ha crop loss,” said KA Kuthalingam, a farmer from Pallathur in Pattukottai. He said the farmers in these regions have commenced cultivation anticipating good rainfall but the crops withered just when they started germinating. The farmers spent at least Rs 20,000 per acre for cultivation and they have lost everything. 

Meanwhile, the farmers getting water from Grand Anicut and Vennaru head said the crops which have started ripening at places like Chakkaramandam, Kalvirayanpettai, Ramanathapuram, Siralur and Pillayarnatham withered due to water shortage. “These crops would have been saved if water was released in late January,” said the farmers. 

However, the condition in Nagapattinam is worse as the Cauvery water never reaches the tail-end region properly. “This year, around 40,000 ha samba has withered. Unfortunately, the crops were in the late stage of harvest,” said Cauvery S Dhanapalan, general secretary, Cauvery Delta Farmers Protection Association.