On the direction of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa two Ministers M.C. Sampath (Commercial Taxes) and K.A. Jayapal (Fisheries) released water from the Lower Anicut and the Veeranam Tank for irrigation on Sunday.
Prior to the opening of the sluices, the Ministers attended a puja performed at the Lower Anicut. Later, they reached the Veeranam Tank to let out the water for the ayacut areas. Those who accompanied them included Cuddalore District Collector S. Suresh Kumar, his Thanjavur counterpart N. Subbaian, MPs A. Arunmozhithevan (Cuddalore), M. Chandrakasi (Chidambaram) and R.K. Bharathimohan (Maiyiladuthurai), MLAs M. Rengasamy (Thanjavur), Selvi Ramajayam (Bhuvanagiri) and N. Murugumaran (Kattumannarkoil).
The water release would help the farmers to raise paddy on a total area of 1,31,903 acres in the districts of Cuddalore, Thanjavaur and Nagapattinam. To start with, 1,200 cusecs of water would be discharged from the Lower Anicut as follows: Vadavar — 700 cusecs, North Rajan Canal — 200 cusecs and South Rajan Canal — 300 cusecs.
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From the Veeranam Tank a total quantum of 85 cusecs — at the rate of 10 cusecs through the Radha Canal and 75 cusecs through the Veernam new sluice — would be released. Later, as per the requirements the quantum of release would be stepped up.
The Lower Anicut water would directly benefit 47,997 acres in Cuddalore district and 39,050 acres in Thanjavur and Nagapattinam districts. The Vadavar (part of the Veeranam system) would benefit 44,856 acres.
The Ministers appealed to the farmers to use water judiciously and get optimum crop yield.
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Meanwhile, the vice-president of the Cauvery Delta Farmers’ Welfare Association V. Kannan has said that the belated water release would pose problems to the ayacutdars in raising paddy crops.
He told The Hindu that owing to certain reasons opening of the Mettur Dam was postponed from the customary date of June 12 to August 10. Therefore, the ayacutdars of the Lower Anicut and the Veernam tank had resorted to direct sowing in about 75,000 acres.
But for want of rain the survival prospects of the paddy seedlings in the directly sown areas were bleak. In the remaining ayacut area of about 56,900 acres fresh nursery ought to be raised and subsequently transplantation would have to be done.
The saplings would be ready for transplantation by October 25, the time when normally the north-east monsoon sets in. In such an eventuality the paddy saplings would get inundated and rot.
Therefore, going by the present experience at least in future the Public Works Department should keep ready an exigency plan well in advance, Mr. Kannan added.