Water for irrigating the first crop in the double crop region of Madurai and Dindigul districts was released from the Vaigai dam in the first week of June after a gap of more than 10 years.
Cooperation Minister I. Periyasamy, Minister for Commercial Taxes and Registration P. Moorthy, and Finance Minister P. T. R. P. Thiagarajan on Friday released water from the dam to irrigate 45,041 acres of the ayacut of the Periyar irrigation system.
Water from the dam will be released for a total of 120 days. For the first 45 days, 900 cusecs of water will be released continuously. In the remaining 75 days, water will be released based on turn system.
The water released from the dam will irrigate 1,797 acres in Nilakottai in Dindigul district, 16,452 acres in Vadipatti and 26,792 acres in Madurai North.
A senior Public Works Department official said that in the past few years, water was not released in the first week of June for irrigating the first crop in the double crop region mainly due to poor water storage in Vaigai dam. “But, this year there is good storage in Vaigai dam. Hence, water was released in the first week of June,” he said.
Farmers welcomed the release of water, emphasising that they can harvest double crop this year. “Since water has been released in June, the farmers need not worry about harvesting their paddy crop during the rainy season,” said R. Arul Prakasam, a farmer.
On June 1, water was released from Mullaperiyar reservoir for irrigation of Periyar ayacut in Theni and Dindigul districts.
