The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Madurai News : Copious flow into Periyar dam raises farmers' hopes

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Aug 12, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

Copious flow into Periyar dam raises farmers' hopes

By S. Sundar

MADURAI, AUG. 11. Week-long copious flow into the Periyar dam, following a sudden outburst of cloud in the Periyar catchment areas, has raised the level by 8.4 feet. And farmers are hopeful of a successful harvest.

The level that stood at 115.80 feet on August 3 today touched 124.20 feet. The 341 mm of rainfall in the last one week has increased the storage by 1700 mcft making the work easier for water managers. The release has been gradually stepped up from 900 cusecs to 1375 cusecs from the Periyar dam.

"With the additional inflow and the introduction of turn system, we will get a good harvest," the Public Works Department Executive Engineer, K. Pandikaruppanan, said.

Meanwhile, an assurance, given by the Department of Agriculture, has encouraged small farmers to go in for cultivation.

"They were hesitant to go in for transplantation fearing water shortage after the inflow to the Periyar dam dwindled," the Joint Director of Agriculture, P. Ramaraju, said. The ryots raised their doubts during the Farmers Grievance redressal meeting held here on July 23. The Collector had to pacify them, assuring them that the turn system would be introduced so that water reached all deserving farmers.

`Use water judiciously'

The farmers have been urged to use the available water judiciously and not to flood the field with water, but to give wettings at regular intervals. "This will help in getting a better yield," he said.

In the Madurai district alone, out of the 25,000 acres in the double crop area, 18,000 acres have been brought under cultivation. While transplanting is still going on in the tail-end regions, crops in other places are up to 20 days old.

"The entire cultivated land will see harvest this season," he said adding, "This will be the second consecutive successful harvest."

Mr. Pandikaruppanan hoped that the fresh inflow could help them have a residual storage before the commencement of the irrigation for the second crop for which water release is scheduled on September 15.

Meanwhile, the PWD has decided to release an additional four days of water, when the first release after the introduction of the turn system would be effected tomorrow. Water will be released till August 22 instead of August 18 to cater to tail-end areas.

The flow into Periyar dam is 1388 cusecs. The level in the Vaigai dam is 37.57 feet with an inflow of 999 cusecs and a discharge of 30 cusecs. The combined Periyar credit stood at 4148 mcft.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu

News Update

Stories in this Section

Copious flow into Periyar dam raises farmers' hopes

Accent on value of photography

`Produce woman before court'

Inspection

Around the City

In Madurai Today

Towards a chequered career abroad