Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

Saving water-starved samba will be a miracle

By S. Vydhianathan

CHENNAI DEC. 23. The prospects of the standing samba crop on about 2.85 lakh hectares in the delta districts are bleak, given the water level in the Mettur Reservoir.

The current storage of 19.049 tmcft is hardly sufficient to meet irrigation needs till harvest. Despite the low storage and a poor inflow of 331 cusecs, authorities are releasing 15,750 cusecs in the Cauvery river and canal.

The Public Works department can at best supply water till the first week of January, that too under a turn system. The prospect of rain saving the crop is unlikely as the northeast monsoon is almost over. Very rarely does the State receive heavy rain in the middle of December, say official sources.

Against all the odds, it will be a miracle if the farmers save the crop. As a majority of the delta farmers lost kuruvai, yet another crop failure will be a severe blow to them financially. This, in turn, will affect the farm labour and have a cascading effect on rural economy.

It is unfortunate the State Government is yet to spell out its strategy to save the crop. By the time the Cauvery River Authority meets to decide on possible release of water by Karnataka, the situation will become irretrievable, fear representatives of various farmers' associations.

Loss of both crops

Perhaps this is the first time the delta farmers have lost both crops the same year. Normally, kuruvai loss is compensated by samba or vice versa. Under kuruvai, only 45,000 hectares could be covered as against the normal area of 2.15 lakh hectares owing to late release of water from the reservoir. The farmers thought that the situation would improve, helping them compensate the kuruvai loss during the samba season. Even the Government earlier planned to bring about 4.5 lakh hectares under samba, including 1.77 lakh hectares under `thaladi'. But the farmers could raise samba only on 2.85 lakh hectares as against the normal coverage of about 5.5 lakh hectares. Of this, Tiruvarur accounted for 1.15 lakh hectares, Nagapattinam 96,800 hectares and Thanjavur 73,950 hectares. Nearly 50 per cent of the farmers took to direct sowing in view of water shortage.

Farmers complain that there was no firm assurance from officials, to whom they expressed their apprehensions at monthly grievance meetings.

They just said they would take appropriate steps to save the crop.

Under the present circumstances, farmers having the tubewell facility alone could save the crop. Others harvesting the crop will be a wonder, say the concerned farm leaders.

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