Mettur water is yet to reach several Cauvery delta canals, delaying samba paddy cultivation as farmers seek higher releases and adequate irrigation before the northeast monsoon brings risks of heavy rain and crop damage.
Twenty-five days after water was released from the Mettur dam, several canals across Tamil Nadu’s Cauvery delta remain dry, delaying samba paddy cultivation and raising concerns among farmers about the impact of a late crop on the upcoming northeast monsoon.
The delay has affected cultivation preparations across several delta districts, with farmers at the tail end of the irrigation network still waiting for adequate water to reach their fields. The Mettur dam was opened for irrigation on September 1 this year, later than the customary June 12 opening, due to inadequate water storage.
Following the release from Mettur, irrigation water from the Grand Anicut began flowing on September 6 through the Cauvery, Vennar, Grand Anicut Canal and Kollidam systems. However, farmers have said that the present quantum of water is insufficient to carry supplies to many tail-end areas.
According to the available figures, the Cauvery is receiving around 4,901 cubic feet per second (cusecs), against its stated carrying capacity of 10,691 cusecs. The Vennar system is receiving about 1,408 cusecs compared with a carrying capacity of 9,370 cusecs, while the Grand Anicut Canal is receiving around 1,500 cusecs against a capacity of 3,380 cusecs.
The low flows in the main irrigation systems have also affected smaller channels that depend on them. As a result, several distributary canals have received little or no water, leaving farmers unable to prepare their fields for samba cultivation.
P. Chinnadurai, president of the Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association, said the current release of around 12,000 cusecs from Mettur was not sufficient to ensure that water reached the tail-end regions of the delta. He has called for the release to be increased to around 22,000 cusecs so that water can move through the irrigation network and reach more agricultural fields.
According to farmers, even some head-reach canals where water has already arrived are experiencing shallow and slow flows. In several locations, the available water has not yet entered agricultural fields, further delaying sowing and transplantation activities.
The situation has created a divide between farmers dependent on river and canal irrigation and those with access to deep borewells. While farmers with reliable groundwater sources have been able to begin planting, many others remain dependent on the arrival of adequate Cauvery water.
The delayed irrigation has also raised concerns over the timing of the samba crop. Chinnadurai said many farmers may now be forced to postpone sowing or transplantation until the northeast monsoon begins in the Tamil month of Aippasi, which starts in October.
He estimated that up to 90 per cent of farmers could be forced to begin cultivation late if adequate irrigation water does not reach the fields soon. The scale of the delay is reflected in the current cultivation figures. Against a combined district target of 3.12 lakh acres for samba and thaladi paddy cultivation, samba cultivation has so far begun on only 20,384 acres.
Farmers are particularly concerned that a delayed crop could coincide with periods of heavy rainfall during the northeast monsoon. Excessive rain at critical stages of cultivation could affect standing paddy and create additional risks for farmers who have already faced delays in receiving irrigation water.
The farmers have therefore urged the Tamil Nadu government to take steps to secure the State’s share of Cauvery water from Karnataka and ensure sufficient supplies throughout the cultivation season. They have also sought adequate releases through the major irrigation systems so that water reaches both head-reach and tail-end fields.
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With samba cultivation being a major agricultural activity across the Cauvery delta, farmers say timely water availability is essential to prevent further delays. The continuing shortage in several canals has left cultivators waiting for improved flows before committing to large-scale planting.
