Open Mettur dam by June 1st week, agri technocrats suggest to govt

TIRUCHY: Senior agriculture technocrats on Friday recommended the state government to release water from Mettur dam during the first week of June itself as the reservoir has above 100 feet water availability.

Agriculture technocrats have been providing advice on Delta irrigation to the state government every year. On Friday, one of the members of the senior technocrats, P Kalaivanan came to the farmers grievances meet held in Thanjavur. He released the report for the current year in which he stated that over 100 feet water is available in the Mettur dam and it is expected to receive 232 TMC through the monsoon and the due water share by the Supreme Court direction and so it is ideal to open Mettur dam in the first week of June.

He also said that the kuruvai cultivation could be undertaken in an area of 5.30 lakh acre in all the 12 Cauvery Delta districts and Karaikal while samba is recommended to be cultivated in an area of 8.90 lakh acres and in 4.41 lakh acres thalady can be cultivated, he suggested.

He advised the farmers to complete the process of kuruvai cultivation between May and June end and the farmers should undertake the initial works accordingly, for which the government should ensure uninterrupted three phase power supply. He cautioned not to begin cultivation in July and August, which would lead to crop loss due to the monsoon rains as it is predicted to be of heavy rainfall from October to November.

Stating that adequate quantity of water is available in Mettur and the South West monsoon would set on the right time, the Mettur dam can be opened before the customary date of June 12. “Mettur water can be released in the first week of June and the farmers should engage in direct sowing for the kuruvai cultivation which would reduce the expenditure,” Kalaivanan said.

Similarly, the samba cultivation could be started from August 15 to September 7 and all the C and D branch canals should be desilted and maintained for the free flow of water till the tail end area, he added.