Farmers on tenterhooks as Mettur level fast depletes

By Our Staff Reporter

THANJAVUR, JULY 31. Farmers in the Cauvery delta districts of Thanjavur and Tiruvarur are worried over the fast depletion of water at Mettur dam.

With the `kuruvai' transplantation nearing completion and the `samba' cultivation just beginning, water requirement is more in the two districts. The poor storage at Mettur dam has kept the farmers on tenterhooks.

The water level at Mettur dam stood at 66.05 feet this evening. The inflow was a meagre 4,111 cusecs. Consequent to the poor inflow and depletion of water, the PWD had reduced the discharge to 4,964 cusecs.

While 2,336 cusecs had been released into the Vennar, there had been no supply into the Cauvery.

In the Grand Anaicut canal, 2,421 cusecs of water had been released.

The `Aadi Perukku' festival falls on August 3 and farmers wonder whether there would be water in the river for celebrating the festival.

Nearly 15,000 cusecs of water release per day is required for another 15 days, if the transplanted crops were to be saved and samba cultivation was to be taken up.

The present storage is 29.4 tmcft. Leaving six tmcft as dead storage, only 20 tmcft is available for release.

Last year situation

Agriculture department officials and PWD engineers are hopeful of saving the crop. The situation was the same last year also but the crop was saved. Hence there was no need to be panicky now, say agriculture department officials.

On July 31 last year, the storage was 65.61 feet. The inflow was less than this year - only 113 cusecs. Throughout the month of August last year, the inflow was very poor except for the last three days when it shot up heavily.

With respect to the rainfall last year during August, below normal rainfall was recorded. While the normal rainfall for August was 105.35 mm, only 56.7 mm of rainfall was recorded. But the water level rose by 20 feet in a week's time towards the end of the month - it rose from 56 feet to 76 ft.

The inflow also picked up. On August 27, it was 17,314 cusecs, on August 28, 41,699 cusecs, on August 29, 59,700 cusecs, on August 30, 90,181 cusecs and on August 31, 62,181 cusecs.

Though officials and engineers have pinned their hopes on a sudden spurt in the inflow towards the end of August as it happened last year, farmers say things cannot be taken for granted and the Government should get the due share from Karnataka.

In Thanjavur district, kuruvai transplantation had been completed on 42,000 hectares against the target of 45,000 hectares.

In Tiruvarur district, it had been completed on 29,000 hectares against the target of 35,000 hectares.

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