TRICHY/THANJAVUR: Karnataka may have complied with the Supreme Court order by releasing 15,000 cusecs of water, but farmers in the Cauvery Delta region in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday expressed disappointment at the move saying the quantum of water being released will not be enough for cultivation of samba crops.
The Karnataka government had on Tuesday late night released 10,000 cusecs from Krishnarajasagar Dam and 5,000 cusecs of water from the Kabini dam in Mysuru after the Supreme Court ordered it to release 15,000 cusecs of water daily for 10 days.
Though the water released by Karnataka would reach the Mettur dam by Thursday afternoon, farmers aren’t really enthused. They say at least 90 tmcft of water is needed for cultivation of samba crops that would be spread over 150 days and with the release of just 13 tmcft of water from Karnataka in the next ten days, they would get water only for 25 to 35 days. The farmers said though they welcome the release of water, it is not enough for cultivation.
“We need water for 130-150 days for cultivation of samba crops. The SC has asked the Karnataka Government to release 12-13 tmcft of water for the next 10 days. With the 38 tmcft of water that is already stored in the Mettur dam, the total comes to 50 tmcft. But they would release only 30 tmcft for cultivation since 20 tmcft would be stored in the dam,” Ayyakannu, President, National River Linking Farmers’ Association, said.
He said the water that is expected from the monsoon rains would help them in cultivation for 30 days. Still, the farmers who depend on samba will have no water for another 60 to 70 days and the Supreme Court order will have no impact on the farmers, he said.
Echoing his views, another farmers leader ‘Puliyur’ Nagaraj said farmers in the Delta region cultivate samba in 25 lakh hectares and they can’t even start the cultivation of the crop with the water that is expected to be in Mettur dam. The water from Mettur dam is usually released to farmers in the Cauvery Delta districts of Trichy, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur.
“All political parties in Karnataka are united in protecting the interests of the farmers. We expect the same unity from our politicians in the state. Though Karnataka has released water, it is just not enough for cultivation. We request the Tamil Nadu government to convene an all-party meeting to decide the future course of action to save farmers’ interest,” Mr Nagaraj said.
P. R. Pandian, president of the Coordination Committee of All Farmers Associations, accused the Karnataka government of instigating the farmers who have blocked roads connecting Bengaluru with Mysuru and other roads.
“It is very clear that the Karnataka government is playing with the lives of farmers in Tamil Nadu. On one hand, they release water and on the other hand they instigate farmers to protest,” he alleged. Mr Pandian wanted the Union government to ensure that Karnataka releases the 90 tmcft of water, which it was supposed to give to TN by August 31, 2016.
