Put turn system on hold, release adequate water into Grand Anicut Canal: Farmers

TIRUCHY: Citing the impact of water scarcity on the samba cultivated in the region irrigated by the Grand Anicut canal, the farmers appealed to the Thanjavur district administration to put the turn system of water release on hold and instead sought the release of adequate water at least for a month.

The farmers’ grievances redressal meeting, chaired by the district collector B Priyanka Pankajam, was held in Thanjavur during which the farmers pointed out that the administrative works at Arignar Anna Sugar mills are not up to the mark and the officials refused to meet the farmers who tried to put forth their grievances. They expressed uncertainty over this year’s cultivation. Meanwhile, the farmers cultivating samba charged that there is no adequate water for samba cultivation in the Sengipatti area which forced them to complete cultivation with a single crop. Irrespective of the water released from Mettur this year, there is no adequate water at the Kattalaimettu Canal and Uyyankondan Canal to date and thus two crop cultivation would certainly be doubtful, they added.

As the GA Canal irrigation system has been divided into two parts and the farmers were made to accept the turn system of water release that is scheduled on October 1, the farmers said, “If the turn system is implemented, achieving 2 lakh acre samba cultivation is highly doubtful.” They appealed to the authorities to release adequate water into the GA canal and resume the turn system after a month.

In response to the farmers, the Water Resource Department engineer said that the GA canal has been recharging water at 62 water bodies in the Sengipatti area and enough water has been released to these water bodies. Only three water bodies- Kamatchi Lake, Moonkil Lake, and Anaikudam Lake are yet to get water and these water bodies will get water based on the quantum outflow from the Mettur, the official said.