Chennai, March 17 : With the water level in the Mettur Dam reaching 100 feet, farmers from the Tiruchi and Karur districts of Tamil Nadu are urging the Water Resources Department to release water to support their crops.

Traditionally, water release from Mettur for delta irrigation is halted after the customary closing date of January 28. However, depending on storage levels, the government usually allows the release of 1,500 to 3,000 cusecs of water to supply various irrigation canals. These include Raja Kumarapalayam, Mohanur, Kattuputhur, Vadakarai, Ayyan, Peruvalai, and Srirangam Nattu Vaickal. Additionally, 17 other tributary canals, such as those in Pugalur, Vaangal, Nerur, Krishnarayapuram, Thenkarai, and Uyyakondan, benefit from the water supply.

These irrigation canals sustain a variety of crops, including banana, sugarcane, pulses, oilseeds, turmeric, betel vine, flowers, and korai grass. Farmers in low-lying areas also cultivate summer paddy.

Given the importance of these crops, the farming community is now demanding the release of at least 3,000 cusecs of water daily to protect thousands of hectares of standing crops.

Apart from paddy, farmers also cultivate summer cash crops such as pulses and oilseeds.

The water released from Mettur Dam plays a critical role in irrigating these lands, particularly in the Cauvery Delta region. However, in recent years, inconsistent water releases from the Cauvery River have forced farmers to rely on groundwater and rainfall.

According to Tamil Nadu Farmers' Association leaders, the release of Mettur Dam water after January 28 has been disrupted for several years due to drought and the ongoing water-sharing dispute with Karnataka.

The farmers have been protesting against Karnataka's plan to construct a new dam across the Cauvery River at Mekedatu, fearing further reduction in their water supply. Despite the Mettur Dam's current storage level of 108.7 feet, only 1,003 cusecs of water are being released, which has led many farmers to abandon their summer paddy cultivation.

K.R. Veeraraghavan, a farmer leader from the Cauvery Delta belt, told IANS that as per government orders, 3,000 cusecs should be released to irrigate thousands of acres along both the north and south banks of the Cauvery.

He emphasized that with the water level still above 100 feet, farmers are hopeful that water will continue to be released until May, supporting banana plantations, perennial crops, and summer paddy cultivation.

It may be recalled that during the northeast monsoon, the Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department (WRD) reported that reservoirs across the state were nearing full capacity,12 reservoirs (three in Coimbatore, seven in Madurai, and two in Chennai) reached 100 per cent capacity. 18 reservoirs exceeded 90 per cent of their total capacity while 23 reservoirs maintained water levels between 70 per cent and 80 per cent.

The cumulative water storage across Tamil Nadu's reservoirs during the northeast monsoon stood at 195.455 TMC, leaving the state 24.824 TMC short of full capacity. Farmers hope that with the current storage levels, the government will ensure adequate water release from Mettur Dam to sustain agriculture in the delta region until the summer season concludes.

/IANS