Mettur dam (File photo)
The reservoir has fallen below 60 feet for the first time in more than three years, having last touched that level in August 2023. Mettur dam is traditionally opened on June 12 for irrigation in Cauvery delta districts — Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Tiruchy and Ariyalur. Rainfall in Karnataka catchment areas and inflows from upstream reservoirs subsequently pushed the water level above 90 feet, enabling the govt to release water on Sept. If standing crops suffer damage, state govt should provide 100% compensation under the crop insurance scheme.
He called upon the state govt to initiate steps to secure assistance from the Centre under disaster relief provisions so that adequate compensation could be provided to affected farmers.
Agriculture department sources said the coming weeks would be crucial for samba cultivation as the crops in many parts of the delta are at the vegetative growth stage and would require either timely rainfall or supplementary irrigation for healthy development. Expressing concern over the situation, Cauvery V Dhanapalan, president of the Federation of All Farmers Associations, Nagapattinam district, said farmers were now entirely dependent on the northeast monsoon. We expect such an announcement from the govt,” he said. S Vimal Nathan, secretary of the Tamil Nadu Cauvery Uzavargal Pathugappu Sangam, Swamimalai, Thanjavur district said, farmers would face severe financial hardships if rains failed. We expect only nature to save our crops now,” he said.
Officials attributed the decline to inadequate southwest monsoon rainfall in Karnataka and Kerala, lower inflows and the absence of surplus releases from Karnataka reservoirs while water continued to be drawn for irrigation. Poor storage prevented release of the water on the customary date this year. Delta farmers, who started samba cultivation, alleged that adequate water had not reached several tail-end areas. With irrigation releases halted and reservoir levels continuing to decline, farmers are anxiously awaiting good rainfall in the northeast monsoon season to save their samba crops. “Nearly five lakh acres of samba crops in Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts could go dry if there is no further Cauvery water release and the northeast monsoon fails. “There will be unexpected financial losses for farmers if the northeast monsoon does not support us. Vimal Nathan urged the state and central govts to declare Tamil Nadu a drought-hit state if rainfall remained deficient.