Concerns among delta farmers have mounted due to the non-opening of the Mettur Dam.

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu Congress leader G.K. Vasan has demanded the state government to take immediate action regarding the problems of the farmers of the delta region. He said that Mettur Dam has not been opened yet, due to which farmers of the area are facing serious crisis and agricultural work is being affected.

In his statement issued on Friday, G.K. Vasan said that as per tradition the Mettur Dam is opened for irrigation every year on June 12, but this time water has not been released yet. Due to this, farmers of the delta region are troubled and Kharif season farming is being affected.

He said districts like Trichy, Pudukkottai, Ariyalur, Cuddalore, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai are completely dependent on the water from Cauvery river and Mettur dam for irrigation. In these areas, farming is done on lakhs of acres of agricultural land, but due to non-availability of water on time, the irrigation system has come to a standstill.

The Congress leader said that due to non-release of water from the Mettur dam, the Kuruvai crop has been directly affected and there is a possibility of a huge decline in the paddy yield. He also warned that cultivation of samba, a long-duration crop, may also be in danger, as it is also completely dependent on Cauvery water.

He said that if farmers start relying on groundwater and well water for irrigation, it could cause the groundwater level to drop rapidly. Apart from this, increased use of electric motor pumps will increase power consumption, which will put additional pressure on the power system and may further increase problems like power cuts.

G.K. Vasan appealed to the state government to give priority to Cauvery water management and ensure immediate release of water from Mettur Dam, so that farmers’ crops are safe and agricultural production is not negatively impacted.

He said that the livelihood of farmers is directly dependent on water availability, hence any delay can make the situation more serious. It is necessary to take concrete decisions in time for the welfare of the farmers and general public of the Delta region.

Concern has also increased among the farmer organizations of the area regarding this issue and they are continuously demanding the government to release water for irrigation.