Heeding the demand of the farmers of the Lower Bhavani Project, water is being released from the Bhavani Sagar reservoir in Erode district in the Lower Bhavani Project channels to benefit dry land crops in Karur district from Friday. Alternative supply would be maintained as per schedule till April 30.
Farmers in the LBP aycut, especially in Karur district, have been demanding water release from the reservoir to meet their dry land crop (Punjai irrigation) irrigation needs. To meet the demand, the State government had directed the Public Works Department to work out a formula. Based on the schedule water will be released for 66 days while the closure period will be 47 days till April 30.
As per the PWD schedule, water will be released into the even numbered shutters and sluices of the LBP Main Channel and in the even numbered sluices and shutters of the Chennasamudram Distribution Channel during the period.
The PWD authorities have urged the farmers to cultivate only dry land crops and not take up any other crop as water supply would not be maintained under any circumstance beyond the stipulated duration. Also the aycutdars must use the available water frugally and judiciously to make the best use of the situation, according to a press release issued here by the Collector J. Uma Maheswari.
Water would be released from January 7 to 20, February 2 to 15, February 24 to March 6, March 15 to 25, April 3 to 13 and from April 20 to 30. Rest of the days would be closure period, the release added.
