It’s sheer official apathy, hit out farmers in Delta tail-end

For the past six years, the delta districts failed to receive adequate water from Mettur Dam that resulted into the failure of both Samba and Kuruvai. The farmers suffered untold misery.

However, the condition, this year was something different and heavy downpour in the catchment areas in Karnataka had turned the situation. Water that was released from Mettur Dam on July 19 was subsequently intensified prompting heavy flow in the Cauvery, Kollidam, Vennaru and Kallanai canal.

In this backdrop, the Chief Engineer of Tamil Nadu Water Resources Organisation of the PWD M Bakthavathsalam said in a report that the water would reach the tail-end region in 75 days that sparked criticism from the farmers across the Delta region.

Coordinator of All Farmers Associations, PR Pandian said, “While the farmers are in a position to harvest the paddy, the delay in water reaching the tail-end region is condemnable. The water management is to distribute water on the right time and the PWD should ensure it reaches the tail-end region promptly.”

“For the past 10 years there was no cultivation in an area of around 2 lakh acre that is irrigated through the Kallanai canal. So the officials should ensure water flow into the canal in the tail-end regions immediately,” he added.

Meanwhile, TMC state president (Farmers Wing) Puliyur A Nagarajan said, the state government has done nothing for the farmers and the water management issues. “If it takes 75 days to reach the tail-end region, what is the use of the heavy discharge from Mettur Dam. It is sheer official apathy,” he said.

According to the PWD sources, there are 820 water bodies from the Delta districts are under the control of the PWD that includes four lakes fed by the Cauvery, 34 water bodies including lakes fed by the Vennaru and 694 water bodies under Kalanai canal. It is said, water has been flowing only around 100 water bodies and the remaining water bodies are yet to receive water.

The situation is worst in Tiruvarur as most of the water bodies appear dry. There are 480 water bodies in Tiruvarur the water is to reach the tail end areas. Similar is the condition at Nagapattinam.

Head sluice of Uyyakondan extension canal lifted 

The water from the head sluice of Uyyakondan extension canal was released on Tuesday for irrigation of lands in Budalur area in Thanjavur. Thanjavur Collector A Annadurai released the water from the Valavandan lake. 

Farmers and officials showered flower petals on the water gushing out of the sluice. Similarly, the water from the New Kattalai High Level Channel (NKHLC) was also opened from the Poyyakudi panchayat for the irrigation of lands in Sengippatti area. 

The water started flowing in these canals which would feed the lakes in the area from where the water would be supplied for irrigation. The water reached the area after a lapse of more than a month from the release of water from Mettur Dam. The farmers in the area were demanding water after there was flood in the Cauvery river system.