Chennai, Sept 7:
PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss has urged the Tamil Nadu government to clarify whether it can ensure adequate and uninterrupted Cauvery water supply for farmers planning Samba and Thaladi cultivation in the delta districts.
In a statement, Anbumani said the water situation from Karnataka’s reservoirs to the Grand Anicut remained a cause for concern and questioned whether farmers could safely proceed with long-duration Samba cultivation.
Water from the Mettur Dam was released from September 1 for delta irrigation. Although the Cauvery water reached Kallanai, Anbumani said the quantity reaching the Grand Anicut was considerably lower than the discharge from Mettur.
He said around 7,000 cusecs was being released from Mettur, while only about 2,500 cusecs was reaching Kallanai on average. According to him, around 16,000 cusecs would be required for water to effectively enter irrigation channels located at higher levels and reach tail-end areas.
Anbumani warned that the present release rate could leave farmers at the tail end without sufficient water.
He said Karnataka was required to provide 92.31 TMC of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu between June and September 5 under the Supreme Court-directed sharing arrangement, but had supplied only 31.60 TMC, leaving a reported shortfall of about 61 TMC.
Anbumani said the four major reservoirs in Karnataka ā Harangi, Hemavathi, Kabini and Krishnaraja Sagara ā together held around 74 TMC, with limited scope for further releases.
He also pointed to the inflow into Karnataka’s reservoirs and rainfall forecasts, arguing that Tamil Nadu could not assume that the entire pending quantity would be received.
The PMK leader said the uncertainty was particularly serious because delta farmers had already suffered losses after the Kuruvai crop was affected by inadequate or delayed irrigation water.
Anbumani said farmers could not afford another crop failure and called on the State government to explain its plan for ensuring water throughout the Samba and Thaladi seasons.
He urged the government to clearly tell farmers whether sufficient water would be available before they invest in seeds, labour and other agricultural inputs.
The concerns come as Cauvery water has been released from Kallanai for irrigation in the delta region, with the release intended to support Samba and Thaladi cultivation.