Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) president Dr Anbumani Ramadoss has called on the Tamil Nadu government to promptly announce a comprehensive Kuruvai package and provide financial and infrastructural assistance to farmers. He expressed concerns that the delayed release of water from the Mettur Dam could have severe repercussions on paddy cultivation in the Cauvery delta region.
Anbumani highlighted the diminishing water levels in the Mettur reservoir and the lack of significant southwest monsoon activity in the Cauvery catchment areas. This situation has cast doubts on the traditional June 12 release date from the dam for Kuruvai cultivation.
Each year, water from the Mettur Dam supports paddy cultivation in over 10 irrigation districts, including Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, and Mayiladuthurai. However, the current water level in the reservoir is only 41.60 TMC, well below the ideal level for irrigation release, standing at approximately 79 feet.
For a sustained water release during the Kuruvai season, Anbumani stressed the necessity for the reservoir level to surpass 90 feet and receive a daily inflow of at least 1.5 TMC. He emphasized the need for an additional 12 TMC of storage and inflows of around 18,000 cusecs to ensure uninterrupted irrigation.
The PMK leader also pointed out the low water storage levels in Karnataka’s major Cauvery basin reservoirs, which currently hold only 29.08% of their total capacity. Given this situation, he expressed doubts about Karnataka releasing substantial water downstream, potentially exacerbating the water scarcity issue.
Anbumani cautioned that a delayed opening of the Mettur Dam could lead to a significant reduction in the area under Kuruvai cultivation this year, impacting farmers’ income and employment opportunities for agricultural laborers. To address these challenges, he urged the state government to promote the use of groundwater resources and swiftly implement a Kuruvai package encompassing subsidised seeds, fertilisers, and micronutrients.
He further called for uninterrupted 24-hour three-phase power supply for agricultural activities and an input subsidy of Rs 5,000 per acre to assist farmers facing uncertainties before the cultivation season.
