Delta gets ready to make best use of Mettur water

Several issues like how to conserve water in lakes and ponds, steps for judicious use of the discharge for crops, both kuruvai and samba, dominated the discussion at the meetings. It was also decided to set up monitoring committees to oversee the conservation. 

Tiruchy Collector K Rajamani instructed officials to ensure that all 75 lakes and ponds in the district were filled up with the discharge from the Stanley reservoir at Mettur. 

“Ensure that the water flows even to the tail end parts of the district and clear blockages in canals,” the collector ordered the PWD officials. 

Though farmers on Monday demanded to stop the kudimaramath in the delta region, the Collector suggested formation of monitoring committees each headed by an RDO to complete the same work as soon as possible. 

Regarding the inputs for the crops, the Cooperative Department officials were advised to ensure adequate stock of fertilizers and take necessary steps for disbursal of agricultural loans. 

“Since the farmers will prepare their land for the Samba cultivation during this season, officials should keep enough stock of certified seeds in all the societies,” the Collector said, adding, “The target for samba cultivation this year will be 60,000 hectares.” 

In Thanjavur, Collector A Annadurai, who chaired a meeting of officials, said nine teams, one in each taluk, have been formed to monitor the flow from the Mettur dam across the district. The teams would function under the supervision of a deputy collector, he added. 

The agriculture department officials said that a target of 1.25 lakh hectares has been fixed for Samba, Thaladi crop in the district this season for which 41.455 tonnes of the CR 1009 paddy seed have been kept ready. In Tiruvarur district, it has been decided to raise samba in 1.24 lakh hectares and Thaladi in 24,500 hectares. 

“Sixty per cent of the area will be covered with the long term CR1009 paddy variety in the district,” P Sivakumar, Joint Director of Agriculture (in-charge), said. Since around 50,000 hectares would come under direct sowing method, the need for fertilizers would arise only after 30 days of sowing. 

Already, we have a stock of 12,850 tonnes of various fertilizers. Ploughing had already been taken up in 65,000 hectares as part of preparatory works for the for the Samba season, officials added. 

Similar meetings were held in Karur and Nagapattinam districts also, where officials were given a series of instructions to finish the desilting works before the water from the Stanley reservoir reached their regions.

With heavy discharge of water from two reservoirs in Karnataka, the water level in Mettur dam near Salem is likely to touch the 100 feet mark anytime now, official sources said. The dam’s full level is 120 feet. It has been receiving over 1.08 lakh cusecs of water since last night, the sources said. The water level stood at about 91 feet last evening.

Eight persons were arrested for transporting river sand on Tuesday. Working on a tip off, the revenue officials found that a group of people were involved in smuggling sands. Manikandan, Gajendran, Vinod Kumar and Karthick were arrested from the spot. The officials also seized a JCB and three tractors. Meanwhile in Karur, Vangal police arrested two others for smuggling sand from the Cauvery river bed.