Delta region desilting work to end in May, says TN Minister

Chennai, April 13 (IANS) With water from the Mettur Dam scheduled for release on the customary date of June 12, desilting operations across Tamil Nadu’s Delta region will be completed by the end of May to ensure smooth water flow to tail-end agricultural areas, said Water Resources Minister S. Duraimurugan on Sunday.

In a statement, the Minister announced that a total of Rs 120 crore has been sanctioned for 1,071 desilting projects covering 6,179 km across the Tiruchirappalli, Chennai, Madurai, and Coimbatore regions.

Notably, in Thanjavur district alone, where 4,760 km of waterways were desilted over the past four years for Rs 85.97 crore, this year’s works will cover 1,380 km with an allocated budget of Rs 26.28 crore.

Duraimurugan confirmed that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will initiate the release of water from the Mettur Dam on June 12, continuing a longstanding tradition. He directed officials to ensure that water reaches the tail-end regions without obstruction, enabling the irrigation of large swathes of farmland.

The Minister also noted that preparations are underway to ready the canal network and expressed hope that timely water flow would prevent crop losses during the monsoon season. He added that Water Resources Department (WRD) officials are closely monitoring the desilting works and responding to inputs from farmers in each region.

Farmers from the Delta have reportedly welcomed the timely commencement of the desilting works and expressed their gratitude to the state government.

Traditionally, water release from the Mettur Dam for irrigation in the Cauvery Delta is halted after January 28. However, based on reservoir levels, the government often allows continued release of 1,500 to 3,000 cusecs of water to support various irrigation canals. These include Raja Kumarapalayam, Mohanur, Kattuputhur, Vadakarai, Ayyan, Peruvalai, and Srirangam Nattu Vaickal, as well as 17 tributary canals in regions such as Pugalur, Vaangal, Nerur, Krishnarayapuram, Thenkarai, and Uyyakondan.

These canals are essential for the irrigation of diverse crops, including bananas, sugarcane, pulses, oilseeds, turmeric, betel vine, flowers, and korai grass. In low-lying areas, summer paddy is also widely cultivated.

Farmers are now demanding a daily release of at least 3,000 cusecs of water to protect standing crops across thousands of hectares.

While the Mettur Dam plays a pivotal role in sustaining agriculture in the delta region, inconsistent water releases from the Cauvery River in recent years -- exacerbated by the interstate water-sharing dispute with Karnataka -- have pushed farmers to depend more heavily on groundwater and rainfall.

According to Tamil Nadu Farmers’ Association leaders, Karnataka’s proposal to build a dam at Mekedatu has intensified concerns among delta farmers, who fear a further decline in water availability.

Despite the current storage level of the Mettur Dam standing at 108.7 ft, only 1,003 cusecs of water are being released, forcing many farmers to abandon summer paddy cultivation.

It is worth noting that during the northeast monsoon, Tamil Nadu’s reservoirs were near full capacity, with 12 reservoirs -- including three in Coimbatore, seven in Madurai, and two in Chennai -- reaching 100 per cent capacity, according to the WRD.

--IANS

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