Farmers were worried as there was no substantial inflow during last fortnight
Current storage sufficient for 12 days; heavy inflow has brought relief
CHENNAI: Thanks to revival of monsoon, there has been a spurt in inflow into the Mettur reservoir. From a meagre 1,900 cusecs on Wednesday, it jumped to 10,000 cusecs on Thursday.
UNCERTAIN TIMES: Farm workers transplanting Kuruvai paddy in Thanjavur district.
TIRUCHI: With water level in the Mettur reservoir falling below the 70 feet mark, farmers in the delta region are anxious over the fate of the kuruvai crop.
It was a satisfactory year for Tamil Nadu in realisation of the Cauvery water at the Mettur reservoir for water year 2007-08 (June 1 to May 31). During the year, the State received 346 thousand million cubic (TMC) feet of water as against 205 tmcft prescribed by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in its interim order in 1991, an excess of 141 tmcft. In the previous irrigation year ie 2006-07, the State received 235.93 tmcft.
The Mettur Reservoir will open on the scheduled date of June 12 for kuruvai cultivation in the delta districts. With the storage in the reservoir at 64.931 thousand million cubic (tmc) feet, the State will have no problem in opening the dam for irrigation. The current storage is sufficient to meet the irrigation demand for one-and-a-half months. To start with, about 5000 cusecs will be released which will gradually be increased to 15,000 cusecs over a fortnight. Last year, the dam was opened on July 18 as the storage was not comfortable.
Cauvery delta farmers have urged Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi to release Mettur water for irrigation on June 1, instead of the usual June 12. In a representation, vice-president of the Cauvery Delta Farmers' Welfare Association K.V. Kannan said in view of comfortable storage position, the government could consider the request. If water were released on June 1, farmers could harvest bumper kuruvai crop well ahead of the northeast monsoon.
YET another case of neighbourhood concerns about pollution and development. The Environment Appellate Authority (EAA) has passed an order May 6, directing the Chemplast Sanmar Ltd., Mettur, to obtain fresh clearance for its captive thermal power plant project.
The area chosen for study is A. Mettur. The aim of the present investigation is to conduct a door to door survey about the location of the houses, socio-economic status of the people and the problems encountered using the water was done. Bore well, well, canal, lake and river water samples were collected from different places and physico-chemical and biological parameters were analysed.
