The Thamizhaga Cauvery Vivasayigal Sangam has urged the Cauvery Water Management Authority to inspect the dams in Cauvery Basin and ensure that the lower riparian State’s share in Cauvery water was duly released to save the kuruvai crop.
In a statement issued on Tuesday after inspecting fields in Thiruthuraipoondi where kuruvai cultivation had been taken up, its general secretary P.R.Pandian said that farmers in the delta region had taken up kuruvai cultivation on about 3.50 lakh acres reposing their faith on the announcement made by the State government in this regard. However, transplantation is yet to take place on 1.50 lakh acres due to non-availability of water. The crop raised through direct sowing was yet to get supplemented with fertilizers and it started withering for want of water.
As the storage level at Mettur had fallen below 65 feet, farmers who were unable to save the standing kuruvai crop were in a dilemma on whether to go for samba crop or not, he added.
Water storage at dams in Karnataka had surpassed 80% of their holding capacity, he said but the Karnataka government refuses to release the due share of Tamil Nadu government in Cauvery for the months of January to July accounting 61 tmcft of water.
So, CWMA officials team should inspect dams at Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in order to ensure that the rightful share of Tamil Nadu is released into the Cauvery river system. Stating that such a measure alone would help save the kuruvai crop, Mr.Pandian said that water release from Karnataka dams would alone infuse confidence among delta farmers to take up samba cultivation.
