Farmers in Mandya district, which has been experiencing severe drought for the past three years, can rejoice over the State government’s decision to release Cauvery waters into canals. However, agriculturists are disappointed as they have been told to grow only one crop in the 2016-17 season.
The Irrigation Consultative Committee (ICC) of the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS), the Cauvery command area, in a high-level meeting at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Friday, had decided to release water from the KRS reservoir to canals from July 28. It was decided to discharge water into all major waterways and their distributaries from the KRS reservoir for irrigation purposes on an “on-and-off” basis for the next six months, sources at the Irrigation Department said. Every 20 days, water will be stopped for 10 days, sources added.
The farmers have been asked to grow short-term crops such as paddy and ragi, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) leader Shambhunahalli Suresh said.
Farmers have prepared land for agricultural activities, a senior officer said.
The district administration has established seed distribution centres at 109 places in the district, M.N. Rajasulochana, Joint Director of the department said.
