Farmers Movement Archive

‘Ensure water release in Adavinainar Dam’s Maettukkaal channel’

Farmers having their ranches under the Maettukkaal irrigation system of Adavinainar Dam have urged Collector S. Gopala Sundararaj to ensure discharge of water from the reservoir till March-end to bail out the farmers, who transplanted paddy saplings in December due to heavy downpour during last November. The Vadakarai Keezhpidaagai Maettukkaal irrigation system feeds 1,066 acre with the water being released from Adavinainar Dam in Maekkarai in Shencottai taluk. During the ‘pisanam’ paddy season (the second crop season), the farmers would start their farming operations in mid-October or first week of November depending upon the start of northeast monsoon and the crop would be ready for harvest in February. As the farmers getting water from Maettukkaal irrigation channel could start transplanting the paddy saplings in their fields only in December due to the continuous rain in November during the last northeast monsoon, the 120-day-crop will be ready for harvest only in March. “Now, the crop is only 45-day-old and in some places it is just 30-days-old. The standing crop will be in need of water till March-end for good harvest. Considering this situation, the Collector should accept our plea for release of water from Adavinainar Dam till March-end,” says farmer Vadakarai S.T. Shaik Maideen of All India Kisan Sabha. If the release of water for the Maettukkaal irrigation channel is to be sustained till March-end, discharge of water to the crops being fed by the Karisalkaal channel of Adavinainar Dam should be regulated since the reservoir now has water for only 80.25 feet against the maximum storage level of 132 feet. “If the water being released in the Karisalkaal is regulated and judiciously used, the farmers who have cultivated paddy in both the Karisalkaal and the Maettukkaal will get benefited. If not regulated, the Maettukkaal channel farmers will have to face serious crop loss due to water shortage. The Collector should consider our request in the best interest of the farmers who have cultivated paddy on over 1,000 acres,” says Mr. Shaik Maideen. The farmers urge the Collector to visit their ranches under Maettukkaal irrigation channel along with the officials from the Departments of Agriculture and Water Resources Organisation to study the situation and ensure the release of water till March-end.

The Hindu

2022-01-26

January 26 2022 06:31 IST,TAMIL NADU