As water from Mettur dam would not be released on the customary date of June 12 this year due to poor storage, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Wednesday announced a slew of measures to boost the cultivation of the short-term kuruvai crop in the delta region.
The Rs. 54.65-crore package unveiled on Wednesday includes a subsidy of Rs. 4,000/acre to farmers who use mechanical paddy transplanters for cultivation; Rs. 40 crore has been earmarked for this.
The subsidy would be directly transferred to the bank accounts of the farmers, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said in a statement after she chaired a high-level meeting to review the kuruvai cultivation in delta areas in the Secretariat on Wednesday.
As the water storage in Mettur dam stood at 45.82 feet against the minimum 90 feet necessary to release water from the reservoir, Ms. Jayalalithaa said even if Tamil Nadu were to receive 10 TMC of water due from Karnataka for June, it still would not be sufficient for the release.
According to her, the six delta districts received sufficient rainfall recently, resulting in an improved water table.
The government would also allocate Rs. 5.70 crore for distributing seeds to farmers in Vennaru area to improve the soil quality.
“This would help develop the land in the area and also lead to high yield in samba cultivation,” she said.
Hundred per cent subsidy would be provided to farmers for buying high-density polyethylene pipes for optimal use of water and for obtaining micro-nutrients, she said.
To improve the soil quality, zinc sulphate would be made available at a subsidy of Rs. 400/acre.
For the benefit of farmers facing water shortage along the Cauvery, a subsidy of Rs. 1,400/acre would be provided for cultivating millets. About Rs. 2.10 crore has been earmarked for providing subsidy to over 15,000 acres.
The State government would also continue to provide three-phase power to farmers in the delta region as it did during the last four years, Ms. Jayalalithaa added.
The current storage level of Mettur dam does not allow for water release
on June 12
