With the storage at Mettur reservoir improving over the past few days, thanks to substantial inflow from Karnataka, cautious optimism prevails among farmers in delta districts over prospects of kuruvai crop.
The ryots fervently hope that the monsoon would bring more rain to catchment areas of the Cauvery in Karnataka.
Kuruvai crop could not be raised in a majority of the normal area in the core delta district in Tamil Nadu for the past six consecutive years.
The State government has already announced a kuruvai package to enable farmers with pumpsets to raise the crop using groundwater as Mettur Dam could not be opened on its customary date of June 12 this year too.
Farmers in canal irrigated areas feel that if the monsoon continues to be active over Karnataka in the coming days, they will have a realistic chance of going in for the crop even if the opening of the Mettur reservoir is delayed.
“There is a fair chance; if the monsoon behaves well, we can wait for some more days, possibly till the end of July. If the storage improves appreciably by then, a bold decision can be taken (to release water)” observed Mannargudi S.Ranganathan, general secretary, Cauvery Delta Farmers Welfare Association.
Mr. Ranganathan suggested that farmers, depending on local conditions, could opt for kuruvai crop in such a scenario. However, those in tail-end areas, which might face problems in getting adequate water, should be careful, he said.
Arupathi Kalyanam, general secretary, Federation of Farmers’ Associations of Delta Districts, also favours a careful approach. “If the storage at Mettur dam increases by about 15-20 tmc over the next 10 days, we can go in for kuruvai. But it needs careful deliberation as a situation should not emerge wherein we are unable to raise both kuruvai and samba,” he said.
He points out that Karnataka has so far been only releasing the excess water from its dams. “What if the rain stops?” he wonders.
Pointing out that Karnataka was yet to nominate its members to the Cauvery Water Management Authority and Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee, Mr. Kalyanam said the State government should press for making the authority an independent and empowered body.
“Only when the Authority takes the dams under its control quickly and enforces its decisions that we can be confident,” Mr. Arupathi Kalyanam said.
It would also be pertinent to note that the water would be released henceforth taking into account the area of kuruvai cultivation permitted in the final award of the Cauvery Tribunal. In this context it was important for the State government to come up with micro-level plans for efficient water management. The Collectors should convene meetings with officials of Public Works Department and farmers representatives to draw up village-level plans for judicious use of water, he said.
V.Jeevakumar, district vice-president of Tamil Nadu Vivasaya Thozhilalar Sangam, observed that farmers could go for a late kuruvai crop.
“There have been several instances when the Mettur dam was opened by early July and we have been able to raise a crop,” he said pointing out that the widespread though moderate summer showers had left some water in ponds this year.
