Kuruvai cultivation begins expecting timely water release
Cauvery River water from the dam is usually released for cultivation by June 12, depending on water storage.
TIRUCHY: As the release of water from Mettur Reservoir appears certain, the Cauvery Delta farmers have commenced kuruvai (short-term) cultivation in full swing. The Delta farmers, largely dependent on the Stanley Reservoir, have started it pretty early this time confident of the inflow. Cauvery River water from the dam is usually released for cultivation by June 12, depending on water storage.
Copious rainfall in the last few years have also enthused farmers to increase cultivated lands. The Delta farmers commenced cultivation of the crops in the last few weeks as the ground water level also increased.
“Already 12,000 hectares of early kuruvai cultivation has been completed in Thanjavur district and 500 hectares in Mayiladuthurai District,” said a senior official from the Department of Agriculture. “Raising of nurseries has commenced in Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur Districts. We expect the area of cultivation to increase this time around,” he added.
Better water resources have ensured the increase of cultivated kuruvai lands in the Delta region over the years. The kuruvai cultivation of the Delta districts has increased from 1.65-1.80 hectare to 2.17 hectare in 2022. Officials and farmers are optimistic to have more acreage of cultivation than the previous years this time. A target of 70,000 hectares for Thanjavur, 60,000 hectares in Tiruvarur, 39,000 hectares in Mayiladuthurai and 20,000 hectares in Nagapattinam has been fixed for the current year.
According to agriculturist technocrat P Kalaivanan, the farmers can make use of groundwater for the initial works, while they can pin hopes of water from Mettur later on. “The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted usual rainfall during the South West monsoon. This apart, water availability in the Mettur would also be as usual which assists the kuruvai cultivation. This has provided farmers an advantage to commence kuruvai pretty early this year,” said Kalaivanan.
Farmers said that they need 1.50 TMC of water each day for 40 days for kuruvai cultivation, which they are confident of getting.
Better water resources have ensured the increase of cultivated kuruvai lands in the Delta region. Officials and farmers are optimistic to have more acreage of cultivation this time
