Chennai, Aug 25:
Water Resources Minister N. Anand on Tuesday said the Tamil Nadu government would soon make a “good announcement” on the opening of the Mettur dam, as legislators raised concerns over water supply for samba cultivation in the Cauvery delta.
The issue came up during the debate on demands for grants in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, where DMK MLA Kovi Chezhiyan drew the government’s attention to the anxiety among farmers in delta districts over the release of Cauvery water.
He said farmers were eagerly waiting to know when water would be released from the Mettur dam and urged the government to make an announcement at the earliest.
Responding to the demand, Anand said, “A good announcement regarding the opening of the Mettur dam will be made very soon.”
The brief assurance, however, came amid continued pressure from opposition members for a clear timeline for the release of water for samba cultivation.
AIADMK legislature party leader and former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said the issue had already been raised in the Assembly. He noted that water had not been released earlier for kuruvai cultivation due to insufficient storage in the dam.
He said the situation had since changed, with the reservoir level improving and substantial inflows being received. Despite this, farmers in the delta districts continued to face uncertainty over water availability, he said.
Palaniswami said the failure to release water for kuruvai cultivation had affected both farmers and agricultural labourers and sought clarity on whether water would be released for the samba season.
He stressed that farmers needed advance notice to begin preparatory work, including raising nurseries. According to him, an announcement at least 15 days before the release of water would enable farmers to plan and commence samba cultivation on time.
Several other MLAs also raised the issue during the Assembly proceedings, underlining the importance of an early decision for the Cauvery delta’s agricultural operations.
While the government has not yet announced a specific date, the Minister’s assurance that a decision would be communicated soon has raised expectations among delta farmers awaiting water for the crucial samba cultivation season.