Farmers union to protest for Mettur dam

Chennai: Unsure of timely release of water from Mettur dam for samba crops, Left parties affiliated farmers and peasants unions are gearing up for a massive protest in the Cauvery delta districts. A meeting of office-bearers of the farmers and peasants' trade unions will be held in Thanjavur on Thursday.

Tamil Nadu Vivasaigal Sangam general secretary P. Shanmughan said that last five years water was not released from Mettur dam for Kuruvai crops. “Now there is a question mark over the release of water from samba crop itself,” he said. He said that even 10 years after the Cauvery dispute tribunal giving its order, it was not yet implemented.  

CPI (M) state secretary G. Ramakrishnan has urged the state government to convene an all party and farmers associations meeting to discuss the issue of release of water from Mettur for samba crops. He demanded the government to lead an all party and farmers association delegation to meet Prime minister to press for release of Cauvery water by Karnataka for samba cultivation. “After the 10 years of the tribunal order, only twice the water was released on June 12th for Kuruvai crops.

The Cauvery delta districts were reduced to single crop cultivation over the years. The plight of lakhs of farmers and peasants who dependent on agriculture are very sad,” he said.