Thanjavur, July 25 (IANS) Kuruvai paddy cultivation in parts of the Cauvery delta has come under severe stress as farmers grapple with a combination of rapidly declining groundwater levels, rising salinity and the continued non-release of water from the Mettur dam.The situation has been further aggravated by an intense heatwave, which has accelerated evaporation, and a reduction in the duration of free electricity supply for agricultural pumps.Farmers in Papanasam, Tiruvaiyaru and adjoining area…
Latest Mettur dam News & Updates
Chennai, July 21 (IANS) With Tamil Nadu facing a widening shortfall in the receipt of Cauvery water during the current water year, the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) is scheduled to meet in New Delhi on Wednesday (July 22), amid growing concerns over the impact of delayed releases on irrigation in the state’s delta districts. The meeting assumes significance as Tamil Nadu has reported a substantial deficit in water realised at Biligundulu, the inter-State measuring point on the Karn…
Namakkal, July 12 (IANS) An acute water shortage has gripped the Kumarapalayam region of Tamil Nadu’s Namakkal district, leaving farmers struggling to save their crops as delayed monsoon rains and the non-release of water from the Mettur dam have pushed the area towards a severe agricultural crisis. More than 20 irrigation lakes in Kumarapalayam, Pallipalayam and Veppadai have dried up completely, depriving thousands of acres of farmland of their primary source of irrigation.With no significant …
Chennai, June 30 (IANS) With water storage in the Mettur dam forcing a sharp decline in short-term paddy cultivation this season, farmers in the Cauvery Delta have urged the Tamil Nadu government to announce a special relief package and provide scientific guidance on alternative crops to help offset mounting losses.The demand comes after Food Minister P. Venkatramanan, during his recent visit to the Delta region, advised farmers to shift to alternate crops in view of the limited water availabili…
Tiruchi, June 29 (IANS) Growing concerns over rapidly depleting groundwater levels are dampening prospects for kuruvai cultivation across Tamil Nadu’s Cauvery Delta, with farmers warning that the situation could worsen if monsoon rains fail to adequately recharge aquifers before the samba season.The delay in releasing water from the Mettur Dam, traditionally opened on June 12 for irrigation, has forced most farmers dependent on Cauvery water to abandon kuruvai (summer-season paddy cultivation …
Tiruchy, June 11 (IANS) With the customary June 12 release of water from the Mettur Dam appearing unlikely due to low storage levels, farmers across the Cauvery Delta region have urged the Tamil Nadu government to declare the delta districts as drought-hit and convene a meeting with stakeholders to address the emerging crisis in kuruvai cultivation. The Mettur reservoir, which serves as the lifeline for irrigation in the delta, is traditionally opened on June 12 every year and remains operationa…
Chennai, June 10 (IANS) Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) President Anbumani Ramadoss on Wednesday urged the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to take a firm stand against Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu dam project and impress upon the Union government the need to prevent its construction, warning that the project could seriously threaten Tamil Nadu’s water security and further complicate the long-standing Cauvery river dispute. Speaking to reporters at the Chennai Airport, Anbumani expressed c…
Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu), June 10 (IANS) Farmers in several parts of Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur district are staring at heavy losses as inadequate three-phase power supply has disrupted irrigation for standing summer paddy crops, causing fields to dry up and crops to wither. The Cauvery delta district traditionally cultivates three major paddy seasons — Kuruvai, Samba, and Thaladi.Every year, water for irrigation is released from the Mettur Dam in June to support Kuruvai cultivation. However, with st…
Chennai, June 6 (IANS) The customary release of water from the Mettur Dam on June 12 for paddy cultivation in Tamil Nadu is unlikely this year, with reservoir storage remaining below half of its total capacity and officials closely monitoring inflows before taking a final decision. With less than a week left before the scheduled opening, uncertainty looms over farmers across the Cauvery Delta, who depend on the annual release to begin cultivation activities for the Kuruvai season.Officials said …
Chennai, June 6 (IANS) Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) president Dr Anbumani Ramadoss has urged the Tamil Nadu government to immediately announce a comprehensive Kuruvai package and extend financial and infrastructural support to farmers, warning that the delayed release of water from the Mettur Dam could severely affect paddy cultivation across the Cauvery delta region. In a statement issued on Saturday, Anbumani said the steadily declining water level in the Mettur reservoir, coupled with the abse…