Nagapattinam, Sep 30 (SocialNews.XYZ) Samba paddy cultivation across 11,424 acres in Tamil Nadu's Thalainayar faces losses as inadequate Cauvery water has left sown seeds parched nearly a month after the Mettur dam was opened, farmers said.
The affected fields depend on the Harichandra River. Farmers said seeds sown 20 days ago had suffered exposure to heat without irrigation. Even if water arrives, they expect only 50 to 60 per cent to germinate and survive.
With roughly 15 days remaining in the announced water release period, cultivators fear a second crop failure after losing their kuruvai harvest to water shortages. Ramanathan M., who sowed medium-duration paddy varieties on 16 acres, said the seeds had dried up and his fields resembled barren land. Water had reached rivers serving Thalainayar and Vedaranyam only in small quantities, while several branch canals remained dry, he said.
The Mettur dam was opened on September 1, which was 81 days after the customary June 12 date. Following the government’s announcement of a 45-day release, farmers began directly sowing medium-duration samba varieties, although they considered the promised supply period inadequate for raising the crop.
Poor rainfall has aggravated the shortage, particularly in the district’s tail-end irrigation areas. Farmers said only a few hundred cusecs had reached the district, leaving little water for Thalainayar.
The crisis has also deepened farmers’ financial difficulties. Farmers said they borrowed from private lenders to begin samba cultivation after their kuruvai losses.
They alleged that obtaining loans from banks and cooperative societies had become difficult because Village Administrative Officers insisted that Adangal certificates could be issued only after crops had grown.
Water Resources Department officials said around 700 cusecs of water was being released from Thattankovil in Tiruvarur and was expected to reach the Harichandra River this night. However, farmers said officials had indicated that the supply would last only about a day and a half because other channels also needed water.
They maintained that a brief release would irrigate barely half the cultivated area, leaving thousands of acres exposed to damage and cultivators uncertain whether their samba crop could be saved before the scheduled release ends.
Source: IANS
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