Tamil Nadu Govt orders compensation for delta farmers

Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin announced a compensation of Rs 13,500 for every hectare of Kuruvai paddy crop that has withered in the delta region this season due to lack of water in River Cauvery.

An official press release on Thursday said that Kuruvai cultivation was taken up in the Cauvery delta after the Chief Minister released water from the Mettur dam on June 12, ahead of the usual date.

However, water in the Cauvery dried up after the Karnataka government reneged in its commitment to release water for the State.

The release said that paddy crops raised in over 40,000 have been affected due to the shortage of water.

The State government’s fight for its due share of Cauvery water at various forums like the Cauvery River Water Authority and the Supreme Court and the Union Water Resources Ministry did not yield any results as Karnataka stood firm in its stand to not release water citing shortage as a reason.